The Mission
by Srellet
Summary: After being with the Rebel Alliance for a little over a month, Han Solo takes on a mission with Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker as his command team. A get-to-know-each-other adventure story, focusing on Han/Leia. Takes place after ANH
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1:

Han Solo casually walked toward the Command Center, not particularly in a hurry to meet with General Dodonna. He was surprised that the general had summoned him via C-3PO, and he was certain nothing good was waiting for him inside the Command Center. Perhaps Dodonna was going to order him to leave the Rebel Alliance. Han had been hanging out at the base for approximately a standard month and a half, and though he was willing to do some smuggling jobs for the Alliance, Solo had absolutely no desire to officially join the Alliance. He was aware that some of the High Command saw him as a security threat and wanted him gone. Han did plan on leaving in the not-to-distant future, but the Alliance was a great place to hide out from Jabba the Hutt, and the work was steady and easy—just some smuggling of weapons and transportation of troops, nothing that put him and Chewbacca in serious danger. Having returned the reward credits he received for rescuing Princess Leia Organa, Han and his co-pilot, Chewbacca, were in desperate need of money to pay Jabba back. Han understood why some of the High Command were suspicious of him—potentially he was a security threat—but he _had_ risked his life rescuing the princess and bringing back the Death Star plans. Didn't that warrant some trust?

As he made his way down the hall leading to the Command Center, Han passed several members of the High Command who hurriedly passed him without acknowledging him. The only one to stop and greet Han was General Carlist Reikken who seemingly took an unexplainable liking of him.

"Captain Solo." Reikken smiled at Han and held out his hand.

The smuggler shook the older man's hand. "General."

"Did you get the part Princess Leia said you needed?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks a lot."

"Glad to help." The General smiled at him. "I'm in a bit of a hurry. Hope to see you around."

"Yeah."

Han watched the general walk down the hallway before he headed to the Command Center. As he approached the room, voices floated out the open door; one voice was familiar. Not wanting to disrupt anything, he stopped outside the door.

"I'm not doing any good here." Princess Leia argued.

"Nonsense. You're rousing speeches serve as an inspiration to the troops. Just your presence alone gives these men hope." Han surmised that was General Dodonna. "You must remember you are the last living member of Alderaan's royal family and a senator. You are _not_ a soldier. Sending you on missions or into combat would be dangerous. And you're a wanted fugitive by the Empire. I won't take that chance."

"I'm nothing more than a figurehead here. I feel useless, like I'm not doing my fair part. Going on a supply run isn't _that_ dangerous. Besides how can I expect the troops to listen to me, if I have never taken the same risks as they do?"

"You are the face of the Rebellion."

"I don't want to be." Han heard the frustration in the princess's voice.

"You're not trained to be a soldier, Your Highness. You're a politician, royalty," Dodonna dismissed her.

She raised her voice, "There is no senate and Alderaan is gone." Han heard her inhale and gain more control of her tone. "I already proved myself able to carry out missions. I _did_ manage to bring back the plans to the Death Star."

"Other people risked their lives to obtain those plans. All you had to do was to receive the plans from the Bothans and bring them back to Alderaan. And that didn't go exactly as planned. You were almost executed."

Han grimaced at the General's words.

"But I completed the mission."

"If Solo and Skywalker didn't get trapped in the Death Star's tractor beam, you would have died, and that space station's plans would have fallen into Darth Vader's hands."

Han's brow furrowed. Without the princess's determination and tenacity, they might not have escaped the Death Star.

Leia fell silent, and Han decided it was time to interrupt the conversation. Han strolled into the Command Center. He noted the princess's demeanor. She looked more like a chastised child than the confident bossy princess he had come to know.

"General Dodonna." Han rested one hand on his belt. "You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, Captain Solo." The General's tone brightened. "I have a job for you." He turned to the princess. "This discussion is over. You can go, Your Highness."

Princess Leia lifted her head and turned on her heel, obviously fuming over being dismissed by Dodonna.

"Your Worshipfulness," Han greeted her as she passed him on her way out.

Leia froze for the briefest second, shooting him an angry look. "Captain Solo." She then continued on her way.

General Dodonna waited for the princess to leave then closed the door behind her. "Take a seat."

Han sat down across from Dodonna and propped his feet on the table. Dodonna fought a losing battle to keep his irritation from showing on his face.

"What can I do for you?"

"There's a mission I'd like you to take."

"Another smuggling job?"

"No."

"I'm not a military man, General," Han stated. "I'm sure you have more qualified men for Alliance missions."

"I believe you are the most qualified. I'm sure you had to avoid Imperial entanglements in your line of work, and this mission is….crucial."

"I'm listening."

"You would lead a team to recover the lay-out plans of the Empire's armories in the Outer Core."

Han removed his feet from the table and sat up. "You plannin' on raiding their armories?"

"That is none of your concern." The General lifted his chin. "Your mission would just have to do with retrieving the plans."

"Good, cos breaking into Imperial armories is a suicidal mission. You know how well-guarded the Empire's armories are?"

"No need for you to worry about that." Dodonna cleared his throat. "Our sources believe that the lay-out plans are located at the Imperial bureau on Viccivus."

"Believe?"

"Our sources are highly reliable."

"Well, then," Han scoffed. "That makes it a sure bet."

"They weren't wrong about where the Death Star plans were."

"Just to get this straight," Han shifted in his seat, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together. "You want me to go into Imperial territory, break not only into their headquarters but into their secure computer system, too, and steal the lay-out plans of all their armories."

"That sums it up."

"And I'm the most qualified person for the job."

"You got into the Death Star."

"We were captured."

"Nevertheless, you escaped."

"With a little help." Han raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for me?"

Dodonna frowned. "You'll be handsomely paid for your risks." He then returned the conversation to the mission.

"You'll have a team all the supplies you need." The general passed his data pad across the table to the smuggler. "We have all the security codes you'll need to get in."

Han scrutinized the data pad in front of him. He had to admit, the challenge of breaking into an Imperial stronghold would be an adventure, but he'd be risking his life for a cause he didn't believe in. However, he did need the credits to pay off Jabba. And it would be better than hanging at the base tinkering with his ship. The _Millennium Falcon_ had been quite temperamental lately, and Chewie had more patience than Han when his beloved ship acted up.

Han rubbed his chin with his finger. "I get to pick the team."

"I fear your Wookie friend wouldn't blend in," Dodonna pointed out. "But yes, you can pick your team."

"I don't think Chewie would find this mission interesting anyway," Han stated. "He can be a big coward sometimes."

"There's a list of men trained in covert missions and their qualifications included in the data."

Han pressed his lips together as he found the list on the data pad and studied it. "I'll need a command team."

"Of course. Fren, Redge, and Wren are good choices."

Han read their qualifications, which were quite impressive. "I'd like these men on the team, but not for the command team."

"There's plenty others on the list that would serve you well."

"I was thinking of some not on the list."

"Who would you like?"

"Skywalker."

Dodonna pulled on his beard. "He's inexperienced."

"He also escaped from the Death Star," Han pointed out. "I know more about how he thinks more than anyone else on the list."

"Understandable. Skywalker it is then."

"And the princess."

Dodonna's features darkened. "Absolutely not."

"She not only escaped the Death Star but managed to bring back the Death Star's plans to the Alliance," Han said. "Without those plans, the Death Star would still be destroying planets and the Rebellion would've been wiped out by now."

"She's not a soldier."

"She's a great shot, and if it wasn't for her, we would've never gotten outa the detention center," Han explained. "She's quick on her feet. I need someone like that."

"No. She's too inexperienced."

"How else is she gonna get experience?" Han asked.

"She's the face of the Alliance." Dodonna pressed his lips together. "I won't risk her life."

"She's more than just that," Han stared into the general's eyes, challenging him.

"No. You can have anyone else."

Han passed the data pad back to Dodonna and leaned back in his chair. "Then find someone else for this mission."

The older man's eyebrows rose. "Because you can't have the princess?"

Han shrugged. "I trust her judgment."

Dodonna studied Han for a long moment as he thought of Han's proposal. Solo didn't break eye contact, conveying to the general that he wasn't going to back down. After listening to Dodonna's conversation with the princess before Han entered the Command Center, he doubted the battle-wary man would cave. But Han was counting on the general's desire to have Han lead the mission. Solo was well known for his willingness to take risks, and he thought outside of the box. Sending someone constrained by military ideology wouldn't do for a mission that may require improvisation. But would Dodonna risk the princess's life to retain Han for this job?

Defeated, the general sighed. "Very well," he slowly conceded.

Han smiled at Dodonna. "I'll need some time to confer with my team, come up with a plan. Give me a day, and we'll leave." Han stood up. "And I'll need a ship. The _Falcon's_ acting up, and I think Chewie would want to fix the problems while I'm gone. You don't want a bored Wookie on your hands."

"I'll have a ship for you."

"Thanks, General." Han rose from his seat, shook the general's hand, and exited the room.

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Han walked into the mess hall, his eyes surveying the room. With his hands in his back pockets, he headed over to the person he was looking for. Princess Leia Organa sat in the corner of her room frowning at the plate in front of her. With elbows propped up on the table, she rested her head on her balled hand and pushed the food on her plate around with her fork.

Solo stopped across from her. "Hey, Your Worshipfulness."

She looked up and scowled at him. "What do you want?"

Han stepped over the bench and sat down. "Why the pouty face?"

"I'm not pouting." She looked back down at her plate.

"Yes, you are."

Leia slammed her fork down on the table. "Did you just come over here to bother me?"

"No," Han leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. "I'm here to order you to pack your bags."

_Great. General Dodonna made up some ridiculous "diplomatic" mission to placate her. _"You can't order me to do anything!"

"I can if you are going to be under my command."

Her brow furrowed. "On a diplomatic mission, _I'm_ the one in charge."

"Who said this was a diplomatic mission?" Han raised an eyebrow.

The anger on her face morphed into puzzlement. "What are you talking about?"

"Pack your bags. My command team is meeting in the Command Center at eleven hundred hours."

"Command team?" she asked. "Did General Dodonna change his mind?"

"About what?" Han feigned ignorance.

Leia studied Han's face. "Nothing."

"Do you want the job?"

"Yes." The princess stood up and picked up her tray. "I'll be there."

Han smiled as he watched the sway of her hips as she walked to the recycler.

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"Any questions?" Han asked his captive audience who he would be commanding. When no one answered, he turned off his data pad and stood up. "Then I'll see you at O-five hundred tomorrow."

His team members rose and filed out of the room, some carrying conversations amongst themselves as they exited the Command Center. Han watched the princess hurry out of the room in pursuit of General Dodonna. He frowned then noticed Luke Skywalker had stayed behind.

"What's up, Luke?"

Luke glanced at the door, waiting until everyone had left before speaking. "Do you really think it's a good idea including Leia in this mission?"

Han frowned. "Yeah. Why not?"

"Something could happen to her."

"Something could happen to her on the base," Han countered. "The Empire could find this base and raid it or blow it to pieces."

"But the likelihood—"

"You better get it in your head, no place is safe when you're fighting a war against an entity as oppressive as the Empire." Han looked Luke straight in the eye. "You're not safe here."

Luke sighed. "It's safer than breaking into an Imperial bureau. Leia's a diplomat. She's not-"

"They trusted her with bringing back the plans to the Death Star."

Luke dropped his eyes to Han's data pad that was lying on the table. "I don't know. It's dangerous. She could get hurt or worse."

"I don't know if you noticed, Luke." Han recaptured Skywalker's blue eyes. "She's quite adept at takin' care of herself." Han then collected his data pad. "I gotta go. I've got a lot to prepare for tomorrow."

Wanting to end that conversation, Han left the room at an irritated pace, leaving Luke to contemplate the smuggler's words. He didn't like to be second guessed over the decisions he made, especially when he had his own reservations. The mission was going to be very dangerous, and it wasn't like he hadn't thought about Leia's well-being. Would he have insisted she go on the mission if he didn't hear Dodonna dress-down Leia, reduce her to nothing more than a figurehead? Did he make a hasty mistake? After all, all he knew about the princess was mostly from their interaction on the Death Star.

Han entered the hangar and headed straight to the _Millennium Falcon_. He may have only known her for a little over a standard month, but he had taken a liking to her and would regret it if she was wounded, killed, or worse: captured by the Empire. After all he did to rescue her from the Death Star….

Princess Leia _did_ play an important part in her own rescue. As Han told Dodonna, they would have never made it out of the detention center without her. Of course, they almost died in the garbage chute, but still they're only exit was blocked by storm troopers and blaster fire. It wasn't a bad plan. She had gumption and didn't freeze up in a desperate situation. She was tough and wasn't afraid to take command of a situation.

_I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on you listen to me._ Han recalled the moment when the princess uttered those words. He wrinkled his nose at the memory. Maybe her bossiness wasn't her strongest virtue, in his opinion. She better realize that _he's_ the one in charge on this mission.

Solo climbed the ramp leading to the _Falcon_. He had made the right choice. Over the last six weeks, he had noticed the princess struggle with her place in the Alliance. She seemed to be lost and reluctant to play the part being thrust upon her. She had gotten a taste of the adrenaline that came when your life was on the line, the feeling of being truly alive, when they fought their way off the Death Star. It was hard to sit back after something like that. And she was right; there was no Senate and she lost everything when Alderaan was destroyed. She needed to take action, not sit back and let others risk their lives. Maybe she just needed something that would keep her pain at bay.

And Princess Leia was no wilting flower. Han truly meant what he said to Luke: she was quite capable of taking care of herself. Dodonna and Luke were being unfair, too protective, when that was the last thing she needed. And more importantly, they were underestimating her. Han may have not known the princess long, but he had faith in her abilities.

"Hey, Chewie," Han greeted his long-time friend and co-pilot.

Chewbacca popped his head out of the maintenance shaft and began complaining Han not helping more with the repairs.

"I have a lot to do with this mission. Breaking into an Imperial bureau isn't exactly going to be a piece of braw."

Chewie pulled himself out of the maintenance shaft and gurrooed and gurrawphed.

"I don't know why I agreed." He sighed. "We need the credits, and the Alliance is paying good money."

The Wookie tilted his head and raruffed.

"And they're including that part we needed to fix the hyper drive. I couldn't turn it down," Han reasoned. "At least I didn't drag you into this."

Chewie grumbled.

"I know you'd prefer to go, and I'd feel much better having you watch my back, but you'd stick out like a sore thumb."

Chewbacca cooed.

"No," Han said, irritated. "She'll be watching my back."

Chewie had been teasing and prodding Han about the smuggler's interest in the princess—which didn't exist. He didn't look at her funny, like Chewie said, and he wasn't always seeking her out. She was helpful getting them the parts they needed for the _Falcon_. That was the only reason he talked to her. Besides, he always ended up fighting with her most of the time they interacted. And no, he didn't rile her up because he liked to see the fire in her large brown eyes. He just liked pushing her buttons. It was entertaining, something to do during the long in-between periods of Alliance drama and battles. And although Han found her attractive, he didn't like her in the way Chewbacca was implying.

Han grunted, retreated to his cabin, and pushed Chewie and the princess out of his mind. He still had a lot to prepare before leaving for Vivicus. He needed to keep the mission first and foremost in his head if he was going to be successful.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

Han Solo entered the cockpit of the rebel shuttlecraft. Although it was hard for him not to be at the helm of the ship, Arhul Narra and Wedge Antilles—both members of the Rogue Squadron—were excellent pilots, talent beyond belief (but not as good as Solo) so Han had piloting the starship. After all, he was the leader of this mission. Both pilots looked up at Han as he stepped into the cockpit.

"We're preparing for the jump to light speed," Wedge informed Han.

"Good." Han sat himself down in the seat behind Wedge and strapped himself in as Narra programmed the jump.

"We'll come out of light speed a parsec outside of Vivicus so we'll have time to evaluate the Imperial activity in the planet's orbit," Narra informed his command leader.

"Good thinking."

Narra activated the intercom. "Jumping to light speed. All personnel secure yourselves."

"Okay." Wedge grabbed the lever on the control panel of the starship. Narra held his fingers over the controls above and to the right of his head. "On three. One…two….three."

Wedge pulled the lever as Narra punched the hyper drive button, and the shuttlecraft thrust forward. The cockpit filled with bright blue light as the stars streaked by. Han basked in the beautiful light effect of the stars. It was his favorite part of a flight. Well, maybe his second favorite. Situations that required some very involved fancy flying was his favorite.

"We should arrive outside of Vivicus in a standard day. Then will make the short jump to Vivicus."

Han unstrapped himself from the seat and rose. "Make sure you get some sleep before we get there. Hobbie and Tycho will relieve you from duty in five hours."

"Yes, sir," Narra answered. Wedge looked at him.

"Don't call me 'sir'," Han ordered.

"Yes, si—Captain."

Han grunted as he exited the cockpit, closing the door behind them. He walked into the lounge to find Luke and Hobbie playing holochest while Redge and Tycho—both technical geniuses, sat bent over a data pad at the table situated cross from the holochest board, most likely reviewing their parts in the mission. Leia was the only one missing. Han had picked up on the crews' reservations about Leia taking part on this mission. He even overheard Redge tell Luke that Han had picked Leia for this mission to get inside her pants. Han wanted to punch the guy out, but Luke—despite his own misgivings about the princess being chosen for the mission—stood up for her honor and put Redge in his place. Still, it was obvious they saw her only as a diplomat who should stick to her strengths and go on missions to convince other beings to join them in the fight against the Empire.

Leia wasn't ignorant; Han was certain she picked up on the negative vibe. And as it was, Luke was the only one relaxed and comfortable around her. The others saw her as royalty, the last princess of Alderaan, not a as a soldier, a person just like them. They seemed reserved and rigid when she was around. It was no wonder that Leia wasn't out in the lounge socializing. If she wasn't out there, she must be in the bunks. Maybe she was asleep already. Han decided to check on her. He headed to the bunks. There he found the princess lying on her stomach upon her bunk with her data pad in front of her.

"Whatcha doin', Your Worship?"

She looked up, startled and then narrowed her large brown eyes at him, obvious displeased with his moniker for her. "I'm synching my data watch with the layout of the Imperial Bureau."

He sat down on his bunk across from her. "Good idea."

"I've memorized it, but just in case."

"Good. What about the security codes?"

"I memorized them last night after the meeting."

"Don't program 'em into your watch."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Now that you mention it—"

She arched her right eyebrow and gave him a hostile look, daring him to continue on, but he didn't. She returned her attention to her data watch.

Han sat down on his bunk that was across from her. He was transfixed on her as she transferred the information from her data pad to her watch. Her hair was hung down her back, fell over her shoulders, and every so often she tucked an errant lock behind her ear only for it to fall again. Leia wore a pale pink T-shirt and pink shorts with splatters of white flowers that exposed her pallid legs. She wore white socks, thick and pristine. Han wasn't used to seeing Leia like this, out of uniform in comfortable clothes that showed off her figure. He always imagined she'd slept in something that covered her from neck to feet. Maybe she wasn't as hard as she presented herself.

Han was mesmerized by the way she focused on her task, her large brown eyes squinting at the screen on her data watch, her upper teeth pressed against the fleshy part of her bottom lip. Her legs were curled up in the air with ankles crossed. She was a contradiction, an enigma to him.

"Their records are kept on a computer in a center room on the third floor." She didn't look up from her data watch. "It's not going to be easy. But nothing is ever easy for us."

"I don't know. Escaping the Death Star was pretty easy."

Leia looked up at him with a furrowed brow. Han winked at her and smiled. She shook her head and gave him a closed mouth smile in return.

"Your back-up plan is risky. Hopefully we won't have to use it."

"General Dodonna has a lot of confidence in the information our spies recovered. I'm guessin' we have a mole in the Empire. Most likely we won't need the back-up plan."

_OUR spies,_ Leia noted, _WE have a mole in the Empire._ Not the Alliance's spies, the Alliance's mole. Perhaps he was starting to see himself as part of the Alliance. Maybe he would stick around longer than she thought. That wouldn't be too bad. He vexed her, but she had taken a liking to him. And he was pretty decent when they weren't fighting like now.

"Do you have a plan for getting out?" The princess joked, swinging her legs back and forth.

"No garbage chutes, that's for sure."

She rolled her eyes. "You're never going to let that go."

"No." He then said, "Just remember, I'm the one in charge here."

"Then we're doomed."

Han rose and patted her head. Leia swiped at his hand.

"I think you're gonna be the most prepared for this mission," he commented as he started toward the exit. He stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder. "Be sure you get some sleep."

"I will. You too, Captain."

"So now it's 'captain'," Han muttered as he left the room.

Leia smiled as she watched him go. Han was definitely a mystery to her. The laid-back-hardly –ever-serious-avoid-all-commitment man was more than what he seemed, and she regretted calling him a mercenary after he rescued her from the Death Star. She never thought he'd join a mission as important as this one—not just take on a mission but _lead_ a mission—for the Alliance. Maybe this was the first step of officially joining the Alliance. Leia wanted him to join, though she didn't quite understand her reasons. He was an asset to the rebels and a natural leader even though he could be unpredictable. And he made her feel safe. Why? She didn't know, and it made her a little uneasy. With her father and all her family and friends gone, and Darth Vader after her, she rarely felt safe these days. And now, this man who could leave the Alliance at any time made her feel safe. It probably was because he rescued her from the Death Star—for a reward. That experience created a bond between them despite their usually hostile interactions. Or maybe it was because he didn't treat her like royalty or that she was going to break at any minute like everyone else did (minus Luke). It was nice having someone around like that. No matter, his taking on this mission raised her opinion of him—not that it was that low in the first place.

Leia would never tell Han or let it show, but she did admire the man. He acted like he didn't care about anyone besides Chewie, but he risked his life for her and Luke when he didn't know either of them. Leia smiled to herself as she remembered how Han charged at those storm troopers so Luke and she could escape another way.

_He certainly has courage_.

And then he came back to help Luke blow up the Death Star. Han had his promised reward, and could have left to pay of Jabba the Hutt like he planned, but he didn't. He saved Luke. And he did that without a promise of a reward and wasn't upset that he didn't get one. Leia was definitely wrong about him; he wasn't always out for himself.

And then there was the fact that Han had stuck around despite the price on his head. He risked his life when Wedge crashed his X-Wing in Imperial territory. Han didn't hesitate to rescue him with Chewbacca's help even though he barely knew Wedge.

And now he took on this mission. Leia was certain he was getting something out of it; he needed to make a living. But this mission was more dangerous than the weapons and supply runs Han had done for the rebellion. It was something that the High Command trusted Han with this mission even though he refused to officially join the Alliance. Did she trust him? Leia rolled her lips between her teeth. He could leave at any moment; she didn't trust that he'd stay. But she trusted him more than anyone else, maybe even more than she trusted Luke—and she trusted Luke with her life—and trusting Han that much scared her. She barely knew him.

"Hey, Leia."

Leia was thankful that Luke came in at that moment and pulled her out of her musings because she certainly didn't want to know to where her thoughts would lead her. She smiled at her friend.

"How did your holochest game go?"

"Eh," Luke shrugged. "I lost ten credits, but I did win three games."

"Good. You're doing better."

"Yeah," Luke agreed as he climbed into the bunk above her. "Maybe next time I'll win my credits back."

"Maybe."

Leia felt Luke settle into his bunk above her. She turned offer her data pad, put it to the side, and crawled under the covers before turning off her reading light. She thought of Luke who lay above her, thought about how he doubted her abilities. She was disappointed in him; of all people, she thought he'd be supportive about her joining this mission. Luke was more respectful to her than Han, but he also talked to her as if she wasn't better than him. Luke _knew _her. She was surprised he opposed her participation in this mission.

Leia decided to share her feelings. "I know you don't think I should be on this mission, Luke."

He was quiet for a moment. "It's dangerous, especially for you."

"Why especially for me?"

"We'll be in Imperial territory. You could get captured."

"So could you. Or Han, or anyone else on this mission."

"Do you really want to go through what you did as a prisoner of Darth Vader's?"

A shiver ran down Leia's spine, and she said nothing. Luke peek his head over the side of the bed to look at her, and Leia erased all fear from her face.

"I just worry about you. Something bad could happen," he reasoned. "How do you think I'd feel if you died or worse?"

"How do you think I'd feel if something bad happened to you? Every time you're in that X-Wing fighting off TIE fighters I fear for you."

Luke's blue eyes gazed into hers. Her large brown eyes challenged him, and he frowned under her gaze.

"I just care for you."

"And I you."

"I…I don't really have a lot of friends in the Alliance," Luke admitted.

_Neither do I,_ Leia thought. "What about Wedge and the rest of the Rogue Squadron. You do hang out with them a lot, and they do like your company."

Luke fingered his blanket. "They don't know me like you do," he whispered. "It's not the same."

She gave him a closed mouth smile. "You're special to me too."

"You haven't been on any missions like this."

"Neither have you."

Luke lay back onto his bunk. "Why did Han choose us for this mission?"

Leia thought about how Dodonna told her that Han would refuse to take on the mission if she wasn't on his command team. Why? Han had known her for a little over a month, and she hadn't gone on any of his missions before. She hadn't been allowed to join any mission before. The last mission she was on she played a diplomat while retrieving the Death Star's plans and bringing them back to Alderaan, and that didn't go exactly well. She would readily she was inexperienced in covert missions such as this. Why would Han insist on her presence? What made him think she was qualified?

What made Han think that Luke was ready for a mission like this? He was brilliant in the cockpit of an X-Wing, and had been very successful at his missions of escorting High Command to their destinations and supplying cover for supply runs, but those missions had to do with his piloting more than anything else. Luke had little experience in missions like the one they were taking on.

"I don't know, but he obviously has confidence in _both_ our abilities."

"Do you feel ready for this mission?"

"Yeah," Leia answered. "I have confidence in Han's leadership." She then asked, "Do you?"

"Yeah, but I'm full of adrenaline," Luke confided. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep."

"Hey, guys—I mean, Princess, Luke," Wedge greeted as he and Narra walked into the room and found their bunks.

"So you can't wait for this mission to start, Luke?" Narra asked.

"Yeah, I'm kinda excited. I have never done something like this before."

"Well, just make sure you keep your head in the game," Wedge advised as he climbed into his bunk.

"I will."

"Cut the chatter." Nara pulled his covers over him. "The mission's gonna take place in the wee hours of the night, and we were up all night last night going over the plans and memorizing the codes. We need sleep. So good night."

His companions replied in kind.

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Han awoke with the mission on his mind. He glanced at his chronometer. He had only slept for about three standard hours, and they would be arriving outside the orbit of Vivicus in maybe another four, give or take. The mission would begin in just a matter of hours. And _he_ was the leader of this mission. How did that happen? He couldn't imagine himself taking on such responsibilities in the past—even in the recent past. Why now?

For the adventure maybe? Sitting around on the base was becoming boring. He could've just joined as a team member and not the leader. He could've turned Dodonna down. The general had to have a back-up plan if Han said "no" to his request. Maybe not. Why else would he have asked Han to lead the mission and let Han pick his team, allow him to choose Leia for his command team despite Dodonna's misgivings about her?

Maybe he did it for Leia. Han certainly didn't like how the High Command treated her, making her the "Face of the Rebellion" when she was so much more than that.

Han was amazed how Dodonna seemed to be putting a lot of faith into someone who wasn't a member of the Alliance. He was one of the few members of the High Command who wasn't suspicious of the smuggler, and he obviously didn't see Han as a threat to the Alliance's security like other members of the High Command. Han thought that was odd. General Dodonna was a military man in all sense of that word. Protocol and duty were ingrained in his being. Yet, he gave such an important mission to someone who didn't even believe in their cause.

Now the smuggler had the lives of others in his hands. That weighed heavy on Han's conscience. The odds of everyone making it back on this mission were low. Their blood would be on his hands. Han sat up in his bunk and rested his elbows on his thighs and his head in his hands. He felt as if a weight was upon his shoulders, and he feared he would crack under its pressure. He looked at his fellow comrades. Everyone seemed peaceful, unworried in their sleep. Luke was even emitting a light snore.

Han grimaced. Luke or Leia could be amongst the ones he loses. Maybe he shouldn't have put the two in this kind of danger. He may not have known them long, but he did know how they think and both were flexible and quite adept under pressure. They were perfect for the job. Still he worried. He had become attached to them. Han found that their escape from the Death Star, running for their lives, created a bond between them. He even considered Luke a friend. And Leia?

While their relationship was tumultuous, he felt connected to her and did consider her a friend. Did she consider him a friend?

He looked at the bunk across from his own, expecting to see Leia fast asleep, but he found her bunk empty except for her data pad. Han frowned. Where could she have gone? It was a small ship and she was in no danger, but Han couldn't help but worry. He stood up, stretched his arms in the air, and glanced around. In the bunk farthest from the door, Wedge was still up reading his data pad, probably going over plans.

"Have you seen the princess?" Han whispered.

"She got up about an hour and a half ago. She left without saying anything."

The smuggler pressed his lips together, put his hands on his hips, and nodded. He then exited the bunk room and absentmindedly went to search for the princess. He wondered through the lounge, but she wasn't there. Han next headed to the galley. The long narrow room was off the lounge on the starboard side of the starship. He walked through it but didn't find Leia there. He then passed through the engine room and made his way to the cockpit. When the princess traveled on the _Falcon_, she seemed to enjoy spending time his ship's cockpit when they traveled through light speed.

Han popped his head into the cockpit, and Tycho and Hobbie looked over their shoulders.

"Captain Solo," Hobbie acknowledged Solo's presence. "Checkin' up on us?"

"Uh…yeah." Han was disappointed that he didn't find the princess. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is under control," Tycho answered. "This shuttlecraft is probably the smoothest ship in the fleet. We should arrive at the scheduled time."

"Glad to hear that." Han stepped back. "Uh…carry on."

"Aye, Captain."

Han cringed. He hated everything military and all the pomp and discipline that came with it since his stint in the Imperial Academy. It made him more than a little uncomfortable. He shoved his hands in his pockets and traced his steps back to the lounge.

It was obvious the princess didn't want to be found. So where would she go if she didn't want to be found? Han picked up the speed of his casual step and walked to the cargo hold. It was dimly lit and contained several vehicles and crates. He slowly made his way down the narrow walkways between the supply crates, looking into the nooks and crannies created by them. He found the princess at the end of an aisle leaning against a crate across from the haul of the ship, one leg curled around the other, and her head resting on her knee. Her hair hid her face and she was seemingly unaware of his presence. Han hesitated, unsure if he should interrupt her solitude.

"Go away," she quietly ordered.

So she did notice him. Han stepped forward so that he was standing next to her.

"What are you doing awake?"

She forcefully sighed, "Why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep." He sat down across from her.

"Captain, if I wanted company, I would have found a less secluded place. Or would've woken Luke."

Han ignored her comment. "Nervous about the mission?"

She looked at him, her eyes glistening. "No."

Han stood staring down at her for a moment, assessing the situation. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying, and he knew she'd prefer to be left alone with her thoughts. If it wasn't the mission that was on her mind, it must have been something else, something that must be so bad that her large brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. She didn't look like she should be left alone. Han folded his legs so that he was sitting across from her. He leaned against the haul and rested his elbows on his knees.

"If nerves aren't keeping you up, what is?"

He waited for her to answer, but she just lifted her head from her knee and looked away as she tried to reign in her tears.

"I am," he admitted to his surprise. "Nervous. Worried."

Leia looked at him once again. She had won over her tears; her eyes no longer glistened. "The great Han Solo who faced down a squad of storm troopers and rescued a helpless princess from the Empire's most lethal weapon is nervous and worried? Impossible."

"You were hardly helpless," Han countered. "Bossy, but not helpless."

The princess dropped her head against the crate, keeping her large brown eyes on him. "Why are you nervous and worried?" she asked after a moment of silence. "You've done weapons runs and smuggling jobs for the Alliance before."

Han scratched the back of his head. "I didn't have the lives of other people in my hands on those missions. There's a good chance not everyone's coming back from this trip."

Leia rolled her lips between her teeth. She wasn't expecting such an honest answer. Hell, she wasn't expecting Han to admit being nervous or worried. Han was always so self-assured, arrogant, and cocky around her. And here he was admitting his self-doubt. To her. This was an unusual situation, and Leia didn't know how to take it.

"We're at war," she finally said. "Casualties are expected. If we do…if we lose anyone, it won't be your fault. These men know the risk they're taking. They _want_ to be here." She tipped her head to the side. "Besides, you're going to do just fine. General Dodonna picked the right man for the job."

His hazel eyes stared into hers. He didn't expect a compliment from her. "Why do you say that?"

"You're the only one crazy enough to pull off a mission like this."

"Uh…thanks?"

They broke eye contact and remained silent. Leia stretched her feet out in front of her, her stocking feet touching the haul across from her. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"What made you decide to lead this mission?"

"I dunno. Boredom. Something to do."

She furrowed her brow and smiled, "You needed something to do so you take on a dangerous mission, decide to lead it?"

"Adventure is the spice of life."

Leia nodded, relaxed her arms, and stared at her hands. "So why…" she started but then hesitated.

"Why what?"

"Dodonna said…." She bit her lip before continuing, "He said that you wouldn't take the mission unless you had me on your command team. Why did you want me on your command team?"

Han shrugged. "You were the best candidate for the job."

"How do you know that?" She met his eyes again. "You barely know me."

"I've seen you in action. You're a fast thinker. That's a handy trait on a mission like this. Who knows what could go wrong?"

She pressed her lips together. "Dodonna must have really wanted you. He was totally against me joining any missions other than diplomatic missions." She sighed. "To him, I'm just a senator and princess. The 'Face of the Rebellion'." She interlocked her fingers. "I don't want to be that. I don't know. After the Death Star, after Alderaan…." She faded off.

"Screw Dodonna."

Leia looked at him and laughed. Then she sobered. "I don't know who I am anymore," she quietly said. "I just feel like I can't be who everyone wants me to be." She sighed. "So much has changed. I've changed, but everyone wants me to be who I was. She doesn't exist anymore."

She bit her lip. Why did she tell Han of all people that? Leia waited for some smart remark from Han, but all he gave her was silence as if he didn't know what to say to her. She felt uncomfortable and inwardly cursed herself for being so open. She hadn't opened up to anyone about her feelings, hadn't shared her thoughts with anyone else, not even Luke. Why did she so to Han? She suddenly felt angry at him, angry at herself for revealing as much as she did to this smuggler who endlessly teased her and made no commitment to the Alliance.

He finally asked, "Is that what's keepin' you up?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Leia hugged her knees to her chest. Han bent his neck to see into her downcast face.

"You can tell me," Solo quietly said.

The way he said that, so soft, so serious….After a moment of silence, she quietly answered, "Bad dream."

"Oh." He paused. "Wanna tell me about it?"

She shook her head and avoided eye contact. She felt weak and stupid and childish to be afraid of something like a bad dream, something not real though it felt real when she dreamt it. She felt herself trembling, felt broken, and Han was the one witnessing her weakness. How would he use that against her in the future? She rubbed at her eyes. How come she didn't just keep her mouth shut or left before he sat down across from her?

But Han's honesty, his lack of sarcasm and mocking, took her off guard and made it easy for her to talk to him about things she'd never talk about to anyone else. And it was somewhat cathartic release all that that was building up inside her. Although she was vexed at herself and vexed at him for being so nice, it felt good to get it off her chest.

Han suspected that her dreams consisted of Death Stars, Darth Vader, Alderaan, and all that she lost. He had never seen her grieve or even stop to take a breath since he had been observing her while on the base. Maybe she cried herself to sleep every night. Or maybe she was up every night fearing sleep, fearing the dreams that come with repose. He hadn't known her long, nor was she close to anyone as far as he could tell. She kept her distant from others, and Han knew that she was protecting herself from getting hurt. He used the same defense himself. She recently lost everything. Han may have not lost as much as he had, but he had lost a lot in life. He and Leia had that in common. Maybe that's why he was up talking with her, prying her troubles out of her. Maybe he didn't want to feel alone with his less-than-ideal past.

Without thinking, Han reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. Leia's large brown eyes flew up to look at him, and her cheeks flushed. She touched the tendrils that Han had touched.

"Sorry," Solo mumbled and looked away. "It's just that your hair is beautiful when it's down." He dared to return his hazel eyes to hers. "I couldn't help myself."

She sat there for a moment, pulling gently on her hair, and her cheeks turned even pinker. She studied him as if she was probing for any sarcasm on his part. She found nothing but sincerity.

Finally she quietly said, "Thank you."

Han suspected that although she probably received many compliments about her political prowess and honored as a princess, she didn't get many compliments on her appearance by non-royalty. And politics probably played a part in compliments coming from her peers. Or maybe, just maybe, she just wasn't used to receiving a compliment from him. He was hard on her. All of a sudden he felt bad about his biting comments and trivial arguments he incited.

Solo stood up. "I'm guessin' you've given up on sleep. Do you still want to be alone?"

Her large brown eyes looked up at him; her mouth formed a tiny "o". After a moment of hesitation she shook her head. Han held out a hand to her.

"Why don't we to the galley and get some much needed kaffe? I doubt anyone else is up yet, except Tycho and Hobbie, but their keeping watch in the cockpit."

Leia stared at his hand before giving him her own. Han was surprised by her action, but their whole conversation that lacked any mocking or fighting was quite unusual. It was the first time the two had an honest conversation. Maybe things between them would change for the better. Han pulled her to her feet. She quickly pulled her hand out of his. Then again, maybe nothing had changed. Nevertheless, he'd appreciate her company for as long as it lasted. He followed her out of the cargo hold and to the galley.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3:

Han Solo stood behind Hobbie, rested his arm on the back of the pilot's seat, and leaned over Hobbie's shoulder to get a better look at the read out. He bit his lip and pressed his tongue against the bottom half of his teeth. The blips on the map represented Imperial ships, the largest ones Star Destroyers. Fortunately, there were only two of those, but there were still a lot of little blips flying in regular formations. There was an alley created by the blips where blips of various sizes queued up.

"There's no way to get around the checkpoint," Tycho said.

Han pulled on his chin.

"We could go in on the other side of the planet," Wedge offered. "Fly in low so we're not detected."

"We don't know how far out their sensors are. We might unexpectedly trip one when we're still far out from our target."

"Narra's, right," Han agreed. He pressed his lips together as he thought about the quickest, most direct way to get into Vivicus' Imperial city without getting caught. He straightened his posture. "We're going through the checkpoint."

"What do we say when they ask our reason for coming to Vivicus?" Redge asked. "We're in a shuttlecraft not a freighter."

Han's hazel eyes flew to Leia who was seated behind Tycho. "We say we're on a diplomatic mission."

"A diplomatic mission?" Luke asked.

"Who's important on this planet but not important enough to attract any attention?" Han asked Leia, ignoring Luke.

"Uh….there's the former Chancellor Pulliam, Gan Pulliam," she answered. "Vivicus and Alderaan had a trade agreement, and my father was on friendly terms with him. We could just say we're here to visit an old friend."

All eyes but Han's drifted from the princess at the mention of Alderaan as if they were waiting for her to break down in cry and didn't want to be witnesses to her vulnerability. She tried to push down her anger.

"He's a former chancellor and a friend of your father's," Tycho said. "I don't think he's in the good graces of the Empire."

"He retired as chancellor in the good graces of the Empire," Leia explained. "He ruled with an iron fist. The Imperials never knew the Chancellor supported the Alliance."

"They'll ask for identification," Luke pointed out.

"They'll ask for identification either way," Han countered. "Redge, Tycho, why don't you get workin' on that."

Tycho climbed out of the co-pilot's seat, "Yes, si- Captain."

Han rolled his eyes as the young pilot passed him. Wedge took the empty co-pilot's seat and joined Hobbie.

"Right." Redge stood up. "Princess, please come with us."

Leia stood up, her large brown eyes met Han's. His lips stretched slightly into a covert smile, and he gave her an abbreviated nod. She lifted her chin and followed Redge and Tycho out of the cockpit.

"Leia doesn't have to be the diplomat," Luke pointed out.

"She won't be a diplomat. She'll be a family friend."

"It doesn't have to be her," Luke argued. "It could be one of us."

"I don't think a farm boy has any diplomatic training."

"Wedge could do it. Or Hobbie."

"She knows the guy we're allegedly visiting." Wedge glanced back at Luke before returning his attention to co-piloting. "If they ask any questions, only she'll be able to answer."

"What if the fake ID doesn't work. What if she's recognized."

"She's the best choice, Luke." Han placed his hands on his hips. "She knows what she's doin'."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Luke stood up and stormed out of the cockpit.

Han watched the Skywalker stalk out of the cockpit. He had his misgivings about their ruse; Leia could be recognized if Redge and Tycho weren't successful in breaking into the Imperial security system and creating a believable ID for Leia, but he trusted in their abilities, and he truly believed that Leia was their best hope of getting them through the checkpoint.

"If our reason of travel is a visitation to a former chancellor," Wedge pointed out, "we can't just land anywhere we want. They'll give us an Imperial escort. We'll have no choice but to dock where they want us to."

"Yeah." Han's lips pursed and he bit the inside of his cheek.

"It'll be a lot harder getting out."

"Right. We'll need another way off the planet…" he faded into his thoughts. Then he snapped his fingers. "Chewie. Open me a line to the _Falcon."_

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Luke crossed the lounge and sidled up to Leia who was sitting at the table across Tycho and Redge.

"We need to talk," Luke demanded.

Leia narrowed her eyes on him, "After. I'm. Finished here."

"No, now." He grabbed her wrist.

"Luke, we really gotta get this done," Tycho interjected.

"It can wait."

Leia tried to twist her wrist out of his hand. "No, it can't."

"It will wait."

Luke retained his hold on her and pulled her to her feet. Leia clenched her jaw, but allowed Luke to lead her away, leaving her companions wide-mouthed and staring after her and Luke. Luke led her into the galley and released her hold on her. Leia jutted out a hip and planted a fist on it.

"What's so important that—"

"What do you think yer doin'?" Luke cut her off.

"My part of this mission."

"This was never part of it."

She tilted her head to the side and glared at him. "It is now."

Luke shook his head and paced back and forth before stopping in front of her. "You're putting yourself in danger."

"I'm the most qualified, and I know the chancellor. If we're asked any questions—"

"You're going to be recognized," Luke argued. "You could endanger us all."

Leia dropped her large brown eyes to the ground and softened her stance.

"You didn't think of that, did you?" he bent over, forcing her to make eye contact with him.

The princess met his eyes briefly then walked away from him. Luke's shoulders slumped as he looked at her back.

"Han wouldn't have suggested it, if he thought I'd endanger the mission."

"I don't think Han's thinking straight."

She whipped around. "He's the _only_ one who sees me as an integral part of this team. And if he thought he was endangering my life, he wouldn't have insisted on me being part of this mission."

_Han insisted on her being on this mission? What was Solo thinking? _ Skywalker ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what he was thinking."

"What he was thinking?" she scowled. He obviously believes in my abilities."

"And you? What are you trying to prove?"

"Nothing," she whispered and turned away from him again.

Luke walked toward her so he stood behind her. "Why are you so willing to risk your life?"

The princess hung her head and said nothing.

"It's not your fault, Leia." Tentatively, Luke placed his hands on her upper arms.

She swallowed hard. "I know," he whispered.

Gently, Luke turned her around to face him. She kept her eyes on the ground. "Do you?" He leaned in and peered into her eyes. "Alderaan's not your fault."

Leia bit the inside of her cheek to hold in her emotions.

"You don't have anything to make up for."

She clenched her teeth together as her large brown eyes stared into his. "I'm not—"

"Hey," Han stood in the doorway of the galley, his elbow leaning on the door jamb.

Luke grimaced and turned around.

"Leia, you have a job to do." Han stared at Luke.

The princess crossed her arms over her chest, twisted her way past Luke and then Han before exiting the galley.

"You know I'm not wrong."

Han dropped his hands to his hips and sighed. "Do you think sitting around the base with nothing to preoccupy her mind except what she went through is gonna do her any good?"

"And bringing her on this mission, giving her a chance to…" Luke shook his head.

"Leia wouldn't do that. She's too strong."

Luke's blue eyes stared into Han's. "Would you bet your life on it?"

Han dropped Luke's gaze.

Luke frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't think so."

"I won't let her get hurt."

Luke pointed at Han. "You're the one that's gonna plaster her face in front of the Imperials."

"She's the best one for the job, and Redge and Tycho have proved to excel at breaking into Imperial databanks and creating fake IDs." Han inhaled and then exhaled. "I'll protect her."

"What if you can't?"

The intercom broke in. "Preparing to jump to light speed. Strap yourselves in."

Han turned around and exited the galley. He walked into the lounge where Redge was closing up his data pad. Tycho and Leia strapped themselves into their seats. Han watched the princess as he found his own seat and strapped in. Her hair was slicked back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, and her expression was emotionless. Was he being reckless with her life? Han wanted to give her a chance to break out of her role as a politician and princess, to prove to everyone that she was more than that. He couldn't stand how everyone, how the High Command, treated her as if she was a delicate flower when Han knew that was not what she wanted nor what she was. He was also aware that she blamed herself for Alderaan. Was that the reason why she was pushing General Dodonna to send her on a mission?

Luke sat down next to Han and strapped himself in. Leia narrowed her eyes Han and then Luke before turning her gaze away. She obviously knew they were discussing her and wasn't happy about that. Solo felt a little guilty. He stole a side-glance at Luke and noticed the hurt on his face. The shuttlecraft lurched forward until it felt as if it wasn't moving at all.

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They had been queued up in the alleyway created by the Imperial ships for more than thirty minutes now. In that time, Leia had undid her bun, pulled out a few tendrils that framed her face, and let the rest of the tail hang over her right shoulder. Around her head she had wrapped a pink-flowered scarf that she knotted on the right side above the tail of her hair. She had applied a deep pink color to her lips and highlighted the apples of her cheeks with the same pigment. She found a dress that she had left in a locker after her last diplomatic mission. It was a flowing pale pink dress that stopped just below her knees and enhanced her bosom. She didn't find any suitable shoes, so she had to do with her boots. Hopefully, no one would pay attention to her feet.

As it was, when she walked from the locker room to the cockpit, she had captured the attention of all her male companions. Rarely did they see the princess in civilian clothing. Luke and Narra, now dressed in black jumpsuits, did their best not to outright stare at her. Hobbie and Wedge stole a glance before focusing on their pilot duties. Han, who was now dressed in a black shirt, black jacket, and black pants embellished with blood stripes, was not discreet about his ogling in the least. His hazel eyes perused her female form starting at her legs, savoring the curves of her calves until his eyes halted upon her breasts. His mouth hung slightly open.

The princess blushed under his scrutiny. Then she lifted her chin, twisted past him, and sat down in the navigator's seat.

"Nice combat boots," Luke quipped.

Leia looked down at her shoes. "I couldn't find anything appropriate."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Han drawled, wearing a lopsided grin. "No one will be looking at your feet. Or your face. You won't have to worry about her bein' recognized, Luke."

Leia rolled her large brown eyes, and Luke glared at Han.

"How much longer do we have?" she asked.

"Uh, there are about three ships ahead of us," Wedge answered. "It's moving fast."

"Yeah," Hobbie agreed. "It doesn't look like they're doin' a thorough search of the ships."

"So the mission begins."

There was a nervous tension hanging over the occupants of the cockpit, for they all knew if their ruse didn't work they would have no way to escape. The shuttlecraft was sleek but lacked speed and weapons powerful enough to fight off a squad of TIE fighters or a Star Destroyer. Luke wished he was adept with technology so that he could be with Redge and Tycho as they played their tech-savvy part of the ruse.

Finally, it was their shuttlecraft that was under Imperial scrutiny. Redge and Tycho made sure the shuttlecraft was flying under a name and not just a number.

"Shuttle Star Gazer, state your purpose for coming to Vivicus."

Wedge answered, "Escorting Leilila Bella who is visiting the former Chancellor Gan Pulliam."

There was silence for a moment as the ship was scanned. Han wished the shuttlecraft had hidden compartments like the _Falcon_, and he hoped that the Redge and Tycho were able to interfere with the Imperial scanner without the Imperials catching on. If their cache of weapons was discovered, they'd be in trouble.

Then the voice said, "We need to confirm Lady Bella's identification."

The princess activated the screen near the navigator's seat and the face of an Imperial officer appeared on the screen.

"This is Lady Leilila Bella."

"Please stay still."

Everyone in the cockpit held their breath. Although Redge and Tycho excelled in breaking into Imperial computers, Han knew something could go wrong because something always seemed to go wrong. The screen went black save for a red line that stopped at the princess's eye level. The red line disappeared and the Imperial officer reappeared on the screen.

"How long will your visit be?"

"Five days," Leia answered.

Another moment of silence. Then the Imperial officer spoke, "You may continue on and dock at fifty-six. We'll provide you with an escort. Have a pleasant visit."

"Thank you."

Leia shut off the screen, and everyone let out their breath.

"I didn't think that was going to work," Luke quietly said.

"I knew it'd work," Han countered. He would never reveal his fears and doubts, especially to Luke.

Redge and Tycho entered the cockpit.

"Good job," Han commended them.

"Easy as gie," Tycho bragged.

Wedge and Hobbie steered the ship through the open hangar and landed at the designated dock. Luke and Narra transferred their gear and weapons into a discarded trunk they found in the cargo bay, Leia grabbed her pack that contained a change of clothes, and Redge and Tycho concealed their technological necessities in a black case. They gathered in front of the ramp.

"Here." The princess held out her pack to Han.

"Carry it yourself."

"I can't. She tipped her head and placed a hand on her hip. "I'm supposed to be nobility. I can't carry my own bags."

Han rolled his eyes and took the pack from her. Posing as Leia's body guards, Hobbie, Wedge, Redge, and Tycho took their places on each side of the princess. Carrying the trunk, Luke and Narra took their place behind the others. Han decided it was best that he closest to the princess. He assumed she had a holdout blaster strapped to her thigh under her dress, but he felt she'd be safer if he was in close proximity of her just in case he needed to pull her out of the line of fire. .

As they disembarked the shuttlecraft and stood on solid ground, they were greeted by an Imperial officer.

"Lady Bella," the Imperial ignored her security detail and addressed Leia. "I'm Colonel Bevel. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Leia held out her hand. "Thank you."

Colonel Bevel bowed, and kissed her hand. "We have an Imperial detail to escort you and your party to Chancellor Pulliam's estate."

Leia smiled graciously. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. My body guards are very well trained and well equipped to handle any danger we may face." She nodded in Han's direction. "And my attendant has made arrangements for transportation already."

Han did his best to hide his irritation.

It's been a long journey and I'm anxious to see the Chancellor."

"Then I'll delay you no longer."

"Thank you, Colonel Bevel."

The colonel bowed again, and Leia led her entourage toward the exit, bypassing customs. Han glanced at her in surprise. He smiled to himself. He was worried about getting through customs so he was glad they were able to bypass it—thanks to Leia. She _was_ good at this royalty stuff and understood why the High Command wanted to keep her in that role.

They walked out the exit and were immediately assaulted by a crisp breeze.

"There's our ride," Redge pointed out a stretched speeder with the number 549 pasted on the windshield. Redge was the one to arrange their transport.

The chauffer stepped out of the car and rushed to the passenger side to open the door. He held out his hand to the princess. "My Lady."

Leia took his hand, and she gracefully entered the speeder with the help of the chauffer. Han entered next, followed by her "body guards". Luke and Narra placed the trunk in the speeder's trunk before entering the speeder. The chauffer climbed into the vehicle and pulled away from the docking terminal. Redge had sent their destination to the chauffer ahead of time so there was no need to give directions.

"_Attendant_?" Han asked when the partition between the driver and passengers went up. "Why not 'consort'?" He then winked at her.

"No one would believe you were _my_ consort," she shot back as she lifted her chin.

"With my good looks and charm—"

"Ha! You have the charm of a Bantha!"

"I'm sure I have more charm than those stuffy old men in the Senate."

"Not every man was old, and even the old Senators were much more attractive than you." Leia countered. "And they had manners, unlike you!"

"There's nothin' wrong with my manners! You—"

Wedge rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

"Here we go again, WHAT!" Han and Leia yelled simultaneously.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

Night had fallen fast, as it always had on the planet Vivicus, and only the artificial light came from the light posts that were spread wide apart from each other, dimly lighting the empty streets. Han Solo and the team now inhabited a deserted on the highest floor hotel, suite with a living room, a separate bedroom, and a good-sized refresher. Many of the buildings in the neighborhood were shells of their former self and others were reduced to rubble, the after effects of an Imperial take-over. Tycho and Redge connected their computers and data pads on the table that was moved from the center of the room to the window and began their task of hacking into the Imperial data base. Wedge and Luke setup the surveillance equipment along the panoramic window. The tinted windows allowed them to use their surveillance equipment without being detected, and these darkly- tinted windows were black enough to block out the light in the room and keep their secrets. Leia set up the audio equipment that would allow them to monitor the chatter between the Imperial security detail. Wedge and Hobbie had offered to take up the first surveillance shift. They pulled up chairs on opposite sides in front in the long window. Wedge focused his attention the area surrounding the Imperial bureau, while Hobbie kept his eye on the few storm troopers policing the streets. Han hovered over Redge's and Tycho's shoulders to study the screens before them, while Luke helped Leia find open Imperial communication lines.

"No civilians on the streets," Hobbie pointed out.

"Not surprising," Redge pointed out. "Almost everything around here is demolished or deserted."

Han straightened. "Vivicus only has about nine hours of night. We're gonna hafta work fast."

Voices broke through the static intermittently and filled the room. Everyone stared at nothing in the room as they concentrated on deciphering the words that came through the audio equipment.

"I can't get it any better than this," Leia said.

"Sounds like they're getting ready for a changing of the guards."

"Uh, we have a problem," Tycho announced.

"What?" Han asked scrutinized the screen again.

"Those red spots are people. The lighter ones are most likely storm troopers. They give off less heat because of their armor."

The blips moved about the screens. "There's more than we expected."

"They might have been tipped off."

"Maybe," Han pressed his lips together before saying, "Or they could've nerffed up security cos a small militia has been doing hit-and-run attacks. Nothin' that's been effective."

"There's no way five of us are going to be able to take on that many Imperials and make it outa there alive. And it's going to be harder to get into."

"Chewie and me got in and outa places much more heavily guarded than this."

"Without being detected?" Leia put her hand on her hip, and tilted her head.

"The important thing is that we got out." Han shrugged.

Leia rolled her eyes and returned her attention to deciphering the voices coming from the audio equipment.

"Is there any other way we can get in?"

"They have guards at the main entrance, and it looks like they're patrolling the perimeter."

"Just great," Han muttered. "Why do things have to be so difficult?" Han then glanced at Leia. "It's a rhetorical question, Your Worshipfulness. Keep your pretty mouth shut."

Did Han just compliment her? _Pretty lips._ Of course he was basically telling her to shut up. Her stomach warmed despite the backhanded way he complimented her lips. Then she internally reprimanded herself when she remembered that she didn't care about Han Solo's opinion of her.

"If we took out the guards without them knowing…."

"It only takes one to sound the alarm."

"Then we do it real quiet like," Han scowled at Leia's back.

"The princess is right," Redge pointed out. "We've got to do this another way."

Luke walked over to the window but without the macro binoculars, he couldn't make out much that lay beyond. "Chances of getting out—" Then he furrowed his brow and looked at his tech-savvy comrades. "Why can't you break into the computer that has the plans from here?"

"We can't. They're smart enough to keep their most sensitive data offline. The only way to get to the plans is to physically break into their system."

"We could knock out those two guards in front of that Imp building simultaneously, steal their uniforms."

"That would get us in." Han pulled at his chin. "But we still have the security detail to deal with."

Leia stood up and removed the macro binoculars from her eyes. "We go in through the air vents."

Solo's brow rose as he considered the plan. "That would put us closer to the data room." He walked over to Leia, grabbed her head, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "_That's _why I brought you on this mission."

She punched him in the gut. Hard.

Bento over in pain, Han gave out assignments. "Wedge, Narra, and Hobbie, you'll provide a distraction if we need it."

"What about me and Leia?" Luke asked.

"You two will break into the data room with me."

Han noticed the confused and doubting faces of the rebels. He also noticed that Leia saw the same looks Han did. She handed Luke the macro binoculars.

"I better change out of this dress." She walked out of the living room and disappeared into the bedroom.

The rest of the team dressed in the common room and checked their weapons and utility belts.

Narra slipped on his jump suit then waited until the princess was out of earshot. "Do you think the princess is the right person to retrieve the plans?"

"Yes."

Tycho piped in, "She could stay here and guard Redge."

"She was the one who got us out of the detention center on the Death Star." Han then said, "As long as there's no trash compactors we should be good."

Luke smiled.

"Trash compactors?" Hobbie asked.

"She's a senator and a princess. And she's a member of the High Command. What is she even doing here?" Narra argued.

"_She_ got us through the Imperial blockade, and _she's_ the one who came up with the air vent plan," Luke argued. "We wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for her. You just don't know Leia like Han and I do."

"No, we don't know _Leia_ like you and Han do." Narra glared at Han.

Han narrowed his eyes on Narra. He inhaled and exhaled, trying to control his anger. "I've had enough of your attitude towards the princess. I'm the one leading this mission. Leia is part of the command team for a reason. I don't have to explain my motives to you. And I don't want any more questions. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Hobbie and Tycho answered, and all but Narra nodded their heads. Narra glared at Han before he finished preparing his utility belt.

A silence fell over the room as Princess Leia entered, trying to clasp the utility belt around her waist. She had heard part of the conversation and was acutely aware that her presence was the source of their awkward silence. Leia expected her comrades to object to her being part of the team—let alone the command team—and to have no faith in her, but it still hurt nonetheless. And angered her. None of them had the guts to say this to her face. _Cowards_, she thought to herself. At least the High Command didn't shy away from sharing their opinions.

Leia was unfamiliar with the clasp on her utility belt and her fingers fumbled as she tried to close it. She cursed under her breath.

Han sported a lop-sided grin as he perused the princess's form fitting jump suit. He was suddenly aware of all the curves she had, and it changed his perspective of her. He had found her attractive, but never imagined that underneath rebel uniforms and loose white dresses she wore she was all woman. He wanted to make some comment that would rile her up, but because of the conversation he just had with his team members, he thought better of it.

"Havin' some trouble?" Han asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"I'll get it."

"Lemme help you."

Narra rolled his eyes, and Wedge and Hobbie exchanged looks.

Leia looked up at Han. "No thank you. Luke can help me."

"Fine." Han crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her. He had to help Luke with his utility belt and that Luke helping her would be entertaining.

Being singled out by the princess made Luke blush, and he sensed the wide eyes and open mouths of his comrades. He looked at Leia and then to Han. Han smiled and crossed his arms over his chest as Luke rose from his seat at the window. The former farm boy walked over to the princess and stood in front of her. He, too, hadn't seen Leia look so….womanly, and he felt awkward and clumsy. He glanced at her breasts then quickly looked down at the belt, taking the ends of it from her. Luke tried to fit the clasps together like Han did when he clasped Luke's belt, but he was having no luck, and being so close to her looking the way she did….his temperature rose, making him even more uncomfortable. Hopefully, Leia didn't notice.

After watching Luke fumble with the belt, Han said, "Lemme do it."

"Luke can do it," Leia insisted.

"Obviously not."

Solo took the ends of the belt from Luke and nudged him away. Han then roughly pulled on the ends, bringing the princess closer to him. She sharply inhaled and kept her eyes focused on the belt. The smell of her hair distracted Han for a moment, and he wanted nothing more than to linger there, but he was acutely aware of their audience and quickly clasped the belt. Leia's large brown eyes met Han's for a moment that felt like an eternity. Underneath the disappointment and hurt lurked fear and something else...

"Thanks," she mumbled as she broke eye contact and backed away from him.

"Any time," he replied as he contemplated the emotions he saw in her eyes.

"I'm in," Redge announced. "I'll have control of the security cameras in the bureau in a couple of seconds."

Han looked at his comrades. "Let's go."

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The team crouched down as they walked across the roof, hoping no one would spot them. They squatted in front of the lip of the roof and surveyed the gap between their building and the Imperial bureau.

"It's about fifteen meters across," Wedge estimated.

_Fifteen meters,_ Han exhaled. The gap looked smaller than fifteen meters, but this was their best option. Han pointed the cable gun at the roof of the bureau and launched the thick black cable. It swiftly shot across the fifteen meter gap between the two buildings. The cable wrapped several times around an exhaust pipe but the claw didn't catch securely.

"Damn," Han muttered.

"That was our only cable gun," Wedge pointed out. "What now?"

"We go through the back way. We take down the security detail at the back entrance of the building," Hobbie suggested.

While the team chatted about different plans, Leia picked up the cable gun and went over to a rail. Holding onto the gun, she wrapped the cable around a rail five times before releasing the claw. The sharp hooks of the claw imbedded into the permasteel. Leia then pressed her weight down on the cable. The cable didn't give way. She rolled her lips between her teeth as she thought about the plan before turning her attention to the conversation between her comrades.

Hobbie suggested. "The grated fence should be quick to cut through."

"If we can't take them out simultaneously, one of them could sound the alarm, and we'll have a whole squad of storm troopers on our ass." Narra frowned.

"Narra's right."

"I'll go across," Leia said. "I'll secure the cable on the other end so you can all cross."

"No," Han shot her plan down.

"Why not?"

"It's dangerous," Luke pointed out.

"It's always been dangerous," she countered. "We _all_ were going to take the risk."

"It's not secure." Han sat back on his haunches.

"I put my weight on the cable," she argued. "It'll hold for me."

"The other side could come undone," Luke said.

"It'll hold."

"She's the lightest one here," Narra said.

Han and Luke exchanged looks. Luke inhaled and pressed his lips together. Since he known her, she had been trying to take a part in risky missions but was always thwarted by the High Command. And he had seen her walking the catwalks at the base, sometimes leaning over the rails, her face contorted in deep thought. He could see the thrill and abandon in her eyes as she suggested her idea. Luke found himself becoming angry at Han. _He_ was the reason Leia was here in the first place. Luke understood her need to find her place in the world after losing everything, but Leia seemed too willing to risk her life to find what she needed.

"Absolutely not. We just have to come up with a better plan." Han sat back against the lip of the roof. He pressed his hand against the earpiece in his right ear. "Redge, we've ran into a snag. Can you and Tycho find another way of getting in?"

Redge answered back, "Give me a minute."

The team sat there listening to their earpieces, their eyes focused on the ground. Leia was the only one ignoring her earpiece. Crouched down, Leia made her way back to the cable, climbed on top of the lip of the roof, and attached the security hook on her utility belt to the cable. She then climbed over the lip of the roof and allowed herself to slip under the cable so that she could wrap her legs around the cable. Hand over hand and legs pushing her body forward, she made her way across the thick cable.

Luke suddenly popped his head up and looked around, "Where's Leia?"

"Damn it," Han cursed as he saw Leia making her way across the cable.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5:

Hanging under the black cable, Princess Leia couldn't quite get her gloved-fingers to wrap completely around the thick cord. She relied heavily on her legs to keep her hold on the cable. She squeezed her thighs together for more security. Although the safety clip kept her connected to the cable, she didn't trust it as much as she trusted herself. She let go with one hand, placed it in front of the other and used her legs to inch forward. At first she felt unsure of herself, especially because she couldn't completely close her fingers around the thick cord, and she started to question her sanity. What was she doing? Was she trying to prove herself to the rest of the team? Maybe she needed to prove something to herself? _Foolish girl,_ she knew Han would think. She was certain that he thought she didn't need to prove herself to anyone.

_No_, Leia rethought her motives. She wasn't risking her life to prove anything; she was thinking of the mission. If the cable could hold Han's weight, he'd be out here himself. She was just doing what he would do. No one could come up with a better plan, a quicker plan, and she was doing her part of the mission, though she knew Han wouldn't look at it that way. She continued to inch her way across the gap, gaining confidence as she progressed and falling into a rhythm.

Luke looked around, "Where's Leia?"

The group's heads popped up and began to look around.

Han looked at Luke, "You don't think…."

"Oh, no."

Luke climbed to his feet and ran to the cable to find the princess one third the way across the gap between the buildings. Han and the others followed Luke.

"Leia…" Luke bit his lip.

"Damn it," Han cursed and muttered to himself, "Can't that girl ever follow orders?"

"Man, is she brave," Hobbie said with an admiring smile.

"She's gonna get herself killed." There was no mistaking the fear in Luke's voice.

Han gave Luke a look. The smuggler's eyes reflected the fear and worry in Luke's.

The last thing Han wanted to think about was Leia falling to her death, but the image of her smashed against the permacrete below was forefront in his mind. His heart climbed into his throat, beating hard and fast, and he tried hard to swallow it down. Han kept his hazel eyes focused on her small form—lit by the full moon—and willed her to make it across.

"She'll make it," Luke quietly said to Han as if the kid heard Han's thoughts. "She has to."

"I told you the cable would hold her weight," Narra said. "She made the right decision."

"It was my decision to make," Han countered through gritted teeth.

Leia was now halfway across the gap, and her confidence was at its highest. Hand over hand, feet pushing her forward. Hand over hand, feet pushing her forward. Her rhythm had picked up and she was moving even faster than before. She smiled when she could see the cable-tangled exhaust pipe on the roof of the Bureau. She could see the anchor. Like she thought, its claws were not imbedded in the metal pipe properly. If the rest of the team crossed the unsecure line, someone or more than someone would fall to their deaths. Fortunately, the anchor could be easily fixed.

Just then the cable slipped down a foot, and Leia froze. Her heart leapt skipped a beat, and her stomach fell.

Han's breath caught in his throat, and his heart quickened its tempo. He found himself frozen in fear. _She can't fall. She can't die like this._

Luke grabbed onto Han's upper arm, his nails digging into Han's flesh. She was almost there; the rope had to hold. He closed his blue eyes, unable to watch as he wished her safely across.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. _ Leia inhaled and exhaled several times, waiting for the cable to unwrap itself from the exhaust pipe the rest of the way, expecting to fall to her death. When the cable didn't unwrap or slip down any further, she started moving across it again, but she lost the confident rhythm she had obtained earlier. She didn't know how long she had been up there, but her fingers were now trembling from exhaustion. Hand over hand, feet pushing her forward. Hand over hand—

Her fingers slipped from the cable, and then Leia's other hand lost its grip on the cable. Luke snapped his eyes open, and his stomach lurched as if he were on the cable with her. He sensed her fear rising and her confidence slipping away. _You have to make it._

Han's hazel eyes remained fixed on the princess. She now hung upside down, her legs and the safety clip the only things keeping her connected to the cable. _She's so close…she can't…_But the amount of strength it would take to pull herself up onto the cable… Han fingered his own safety clip that hung from his utility belt, wanting to go out there and save her. But the cable definitely wouldn't hold his weight, and they both would end up splattered on the permacrete below. Han never felt so helpless in his life.

The princess open and closed her hands, tightened her stomach muscles, and using all of her strength, pulled her body up enough so that she could grab hold of the cable once again. She inhaled and continued on in her journey.

"That was close," Hobbie whispered.

"Too close," Wedge muttered.

"She's almost there," Narra pointed out.

Finally, Leia reached the other end and was hanging above the Bureau's roof. The cable had wrapped itself high on the tall exhaust pipe, and there was no way Leia would reach the anchor if she dropped to the ground now. She continued her ascent until she reached the top of the pipe. The princess unclipped her safety hook and exhaled. She twisted around, grabbing the pipe with one hand and then the other. Then she released her legs and wrapped them around the pipe. The anchor hung below her. She tightened her thighs and let go of the pipe with her hands. Using her stomach muscles, she arched her back until her hands were near the anchor. Hanging upside down once again, she grabbed the anchor with one hand and braced herself with her other. The princess gritted her teeth as she pushed the anchor to the left and pressed down on it until its claws embedded themselves into the pipe. She let out a sigh and smiled. Tightly hanging onto the exhaust pipe with her sore hands, she released her legs one by one and dropped down to the ground.

Narra raised his eyebrows. "She did it."

Leia pressed her earpiece against her ear. "It should be secure now."

"Let's get moving," Han ordered. His fear hadn't subsided, but it was quickly being eclipsed by his anger.

Luke put his hand on the smuggler's shoulder. "Han, maybe you should go last."

"I'm the team leader."

"Yeah, so you should make sure everyone gets across first."

Han narrowed his eyes on the aspiring Jedi, fully aware that Luke knew how angry he was with the princess. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe his ire would dissipate if Solo had some time to cool off. "Fine."

The smuggler put his hands on his hips and examined his team. Luke was the only one who wasn't in awe of the princess's feat.

"Luke, you go first."

"Sure."

Luke hooked himself to the cable with his safety clip and pulled himself across the gap between the buildings. Han sent Wedge next once Luke reached the other end, followed by Hobbie and then Narra. Han finally clipped himself to the cable and began his journey across the gap between the two buildings. As he pulled himself across the cable, Leia's two close calls replayed in his mind. She had succeeded, and the mission would be able to continue on, but she had defied his orders and almost fallen. Twice. Instead of dissipating, his ire grew and pushed him forward. He crossed the gap between the buildings in record time. Once he was above the roof, he unclipped himself, dropped to the ground, and stalked over to the princess who was surrounded by her comrades. Han grabbed Leia's upper arm and dragged her away from the group.

"Let me go!" she protested.

"Han…" Wedge started after them, but Han shot him a warning look and Wedge stopped in his tracks.

"You're his friend, Luke," Hobbie said. "Maybe you should do something."

"I've never seen him this mad," Luke whispered as he started toward Han and Leia.

Once the smuggler and the princess were far enough from the group to have a semi-private conversation, Han stopped but kept his hold on her arm.

"What the hell were you thinkin'!"

The ire flamed in Leia's eyes. "The mission! You?"

Han ignored her question. "What you did was dangerous and reckless and—"

"And you would've went yourself if the cable could've held your weight." She narrowed her large brown eyes on him. "I was just doing what needed to be done, what you would've done."

"Han—"

"Stay outa this, Luke!" Solo returned his attention to Leia. "Who's in charge of this mission, Your High-and-Mighty-ness!"

Leia glared at him but said nothing.

"Who?" He shook her arm.

"You," she mumbled.

"Han, you're hurting her!" Luke pushed Han.

Solo froze and looked at his fingers wrapped around Leia's arm. He pressed his lips together and let her go. She scowled at him and rubbed her arm.

"I'm in charge here, Leia, and if you can't follow my orders—"

Narra stalked over to the two rebels and one smuggler. "Captain." Narra's irritation was evident in his tone. "We have a job to do. You can finish scolding her later."

"This isn't over, Princess," Han hissed as he walked to the air vent where his team had gathered.

"Yes, it is," Leia said defiantly as she followed him.

Han's eyes widened and retracted. _Insolent girl_! _And stubborn!_ Han did his best to push the princess out of his mind and return his focus on the mission.

"Wedge, you, Narra, and Hobbie will repel down the back of the building. Redge and Tycho will keep you updated on the Imp's security details position. If things go bad on our end, you'll provide a distraction. Han looked at his watch. "We'll meet at the rendezvous point at oh-two hundred."

Wedge nodded and then led his team to the other end of the roof. Han watched them for a moment with his hands on his hips. Han's anger at Leia, fueled by the fear that still shook him to his core, but he had to get over it if this mission was to be successful.

"You two ready?"

"Yeah," Luke answered. Leia didn't say anything.

"Luke, you'll go first. Then you, Your Worship. I'll follow behind."

"Yes, sir, Captain." Leia gave him a mock salute.

Han opened his mouth and pointed his finger, then thought better of it. He grunted and turned his attention to the air vent.

Luke opened his rappelling line, embedded the anchor outside the permametal air vent, tugged on it, and then climbed into the vent. The line spooled out from Luke's utility belt, and he held onto the line as he used his feet against the wall to guide himself down. Once he reached the bottom, he pressed a button on his utility belt, and the line released its hold on the vent and retracted into a compartment on Luke's belt.

Leia then followed suit. Han watched the top of her head as she descended down the vent. The moon had shifted and the way the light from it touched Leia's slicked back hair created a halo around her head. His fear dissipated, his ire subsided. She was right; he would have crossed that cable to fix the anchor if the thick cord could've supported his weight, and as much as he hated to admit it, Leia did the right thing, made the right call. But it still didn't make Han feel that much better.

Once the Leia reached the bottom of the vent, she looked up at Han. The moonlight fell upon her face, illuminating her pallid skin. Those large brown eyes that stared up at him lacked the anger and hostility just moments before. Her eyes now reflected determination and a touch of impatience. Han couldn't help but gaze at her. He had only known her for a little more than a month, but the emotions she incited, mostly the fear… he never felt that afraid for anyone so strongly besides Chewbacca. Maybe not even for Chewie. He knew the Wookie could take care of himself. And of course, it was Han who took reckless chances, not that big furry oaf. Chewie only followed him into those dangerous situations, and the Wookie always reprimanded Han afterward. The Chewie would avoid most of their "adventures" if he had a choice, but his life debt to Han wouldn't allow him to do that.

Solo didn't know the princess as well as he did his co-pilot, but she had survived Darth Vader's… hospitality, and she fought her way off the Death Star by his side with no fear, no hesitation. In fact, she even had the audacity to boss _him_ around when he and Luke were risking their lives to rescue _her._ She wasn't exactly the damsel in distress he expected when they freed her from her cell. Leia could obviously take care of herself.

But that didn't stop him from worrying about her safety. Han began to want to protect her, make sure nothing bad happened to her, maybe because of everything she had gone through.

He obviously had stayed too long with the Alliance.

The princess jutted out her hip, placed her small fist on that said hip, and tilted her head. The impatience in those large brown eyes growing. She then tapped her watch.

Han rolled his eyes, attached his line to the outside of the vent and rappelled down it. He landed, unhooked the anchor of the line, and turned around to find himself inches from the princess. Her eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened as she looked at him. There was not impatience in those large brown eyes anymore; it was something else…

"Cozy, isn't it?" He whispered and raised an eyebrow.

Leia backed against the wall.

Luke popped his head out of the air vent tunnel. "Will you two hurry up. We're wasting valuable time," he angrily whispered.

Leia looked away from Han, crouched down, and joined Luke in the air vent tunnel. Han followed suit.

"Redge, we're in," Han whispered.

"I see you."

The two rebels and one smuggler made their way through the square-shaped vent. Luke and Leia, being more compact than Han, were able to crawl on their hands and knees, but Han had to slither forward on his belly. He used his knees and elbows to propel himself forward. Each of them had a head band with a small light to illuminate. The lights were set on low to avoid detection if they came across a vent opening. The light only provided a dim illumination. It wasn't long until they reached a two-way fork in the road, and Luke stopped.

Luke touched his earpiece. "Which way?"

"To the left," she whispered as she looked at the map on her watch.

"She's right," Tycho confirmed.

Luke looked back over his shoulder, "If Leia knows where we're going, why didn't you send her in first?."

"Just keep moving."

Solo knew that the princess studied the lay-out of the Bureau extensively, and sending her first would have been the obvious choice. But Han felt much better having her between Luke and himself if anything went wrong. He cursed himself. Again, he made the mistake of putting her safety over that of the mission. He shouldn't have insisted she be on his team, but he didn't expect himself to worry about her this much. He didn't think he would put her safety over that of the mission. Leia's focus on the mission had propelled things forward. From the way things have gone, and if the High Command had any sense, they should have put Leia in charge of this team. She's proven herself indispensable and more capable than anyone else.

Luke turned the corner and continued on. After a few twists and turns and narrower passages at some places—and with help from Leia and Redge—they finally reached their destination. Luke switched off his headlight as he neared the grate-covered opening that stood between them and the room.

The room beyond the barrier was dark, save for the splatter of glowing lights on the rows of servers.

"I can't make much out," Luke said.

"The view from where I'm at is pretty good," Han quipped.

Leia turned her head to him and pulled a face. Han winked at her. She shook her head and turned her head away from him.

"Hold your position." Redge's voice came through their earpieces. "Security check. Two guards."

Luke pulled back away from the grated barrier as he watched the light from a torch move about the room. The security guards thoroughly checked the nooks and crannies between the servers and under tables, and when he was satisfied, the woman clicked off her flashlight and exited the room.

Luke let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"It's clear," Redge said. "The next check should be in an hour Vivicus time."

"Security cameras have been looped," Tycho broke in. "You're good to go."

Luke and Leia pulled their legs underneath their bodies so they were in a seated position, but things were going to be more difficult for Han. He remained on his belly. _Another mistake_, Han sighed. He should've just sent in Luke and Leia.

Luke tried to push his fingers through the small holes in the cover.

"Let me do it," Leia offered.

The princess reached across Luke and slipped her fingers through the holes. She pushed on it and then tilted it so Luke was able to pull it inside the vent. He passed it to Leia who leaned it against the wall.

Luke rolled onto his belly and let his legs fall out of vent. Leia and Luke grabbed each other's wrists, and she helped Luke lower himself to the ground. Leia then turned herself around, lay on her belly, and she and Han gripped each other's wrists. Han carefully lowered her out of the vent while Luke guided her down. When she was as far as she could go, Luke put his hands under her arms and set her on the ground.

Things were going to be more difficult for Han. Since he didn't have the room to turn around, he was forced to exit the vent head first. Luke and Leia took Han's hands and he slid forward until both of his forearms rested on theirs. The smuggler wiggled his way forward as the princess and the aspiring Jedi took steps backwards.

"This isn't going to work," Leia muttered.

"Do you have any other suggestions, Your Worship?"

The princess scowled but kept silent.

Han finally was half way out. If Luke and Leia let him go now, the smuggler would fall onto his head.

_Maybe that would do him some good,_ Leia thought.

Then gravity took over, and Han began to slide out of the opening faster than Luke and Leia could guide him out. Luke grip on Han's wrist slipped out of his hand, and the kid fell onto his backside. Leia moved herself so that she stood in front of Han, and he put his hand on her shoulder. She backed up more, hoping she could control his descent before her knees buckled. But the smuggler proved to be too heavy for her small frame, and Leia fell back, pulling Han with her. They both landed with a thud.

The two rebels and one smuggler froze where they were, expecting the Imperials to rush in after the noise they just made. It was then that Han noticed he had fallen on top of Leia. She was sitting with her legs splayed out in front of her, and her hands stretched behind her for support. Han lay between her legs. His chest and head was on her body. One of his arms rested on the ground beside her and the other was latched onto her waist.

"Redge?" Luke whispered.

"No security in sight," Tycho's voice spoke in their ears. "You're good."

Leia turned her head toward Han, her face inches from his.

"We don't have any time for…." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Get off of me," she shoved him away.

Han rolled to his side and placed his hand on his chest. "You're gonna break my heart."

"Will you two get serious?" Luke climbed to his feet.

Leia shot Han a dirty look, and Han feigned hurt. The smuggler stood up first and held a hand out for the princess. She stared at it as if it was a lethal bomba snake. When Han was about to drop his arm, she placed her small hand in his and allowed Han to pull her to her feet. Leia gave Han a haughty look and then turned and offered Luke a hand.

Luke scrutinized the various-sized servers that lined the walls with his mouth slightly open. "How do we know which one it is?"

The walls were lined with various-sized servers. Some were almost touching the ceiling, and others were small enough to fit on tables. Screens were scattered throughout the room. There were smaller servers and computer screens lined up on a long table in the middle of the room. The room was Imperial sterile and neatly ordered.

"Look for the oldest computer," Redge answered.

The three walked the room their eyes roaming the Imperial technology.

"There," Leia whispered as she pointed to an old-fashioned screen and a gray server next to it.

The princess gloved hands hovered over the glass plate embedded in the table in front of the server. She glanced up at Luke and then Han. Han nodded to her. She wiggled her fingers over the glass plate before punching a series of numbers and letters on the power plate. The gray server came alive and the lit outline of a keyboard appeared in front of the screen. Han winced at the loud noise coming from the fan of the server.

"Watch the door," Han ordered Luke.

The kid nodded and moved closer to the door with his blaster drawn. Han moved behind Leia, crouched down to get a better look at the screen, and unintentionally warmed her neck with his breath.

Leia inhaled as butterflies inhabited her stomach. She batted Han away. "Give me some room, Captain."

"Are you affected by—"

"Just let me concentrate."

Leia punched in another code, and a list of files popped up. She typed in a few more codes and searched through the data. "Found it."

She pulled out a small microchip the size of her thumb from her utility belt, pulled the cover off, and slipped it into the thin slot on the server. As the microchip retrieved the information on the plans to the Empire's armories around the galaxy, Leia decided to do some searching of her own.

"We're only here for the lay-out files," Han reminded her. "We don't have time for anything else."

Leia glanced at her watch. "We still have thirty minutes."

"Let's just get what we came for and get out."

"It's still copying. There's no harm and seeing what else we can get."

Han shook his head, anxious to get out, but she did have a point.

"Command Team," Redge's voice broke in. "In coming. Just one."

"I thought we had thirty minutes," Luke hissed.

Leia's finger hovered over the keyboard. She grimaced. There was no way to shut down the computer without losing what she had already started to copy. And if she could just find more useful information…"ETA?"

Han wasn't about to wait for an answer from Tycho or Redge. The smuggler shut off the screen and wrapped an arm around Leia's waist. She gasped as Han lifted her off the ground and dragged her under the table. Luke moved across from where Han and Leia were and squeezed himself between two servers. Luke grimaced when he noticed that the keyboard still glowed, and the fan of the server still whirled as it continued to copy the files.

Solo held Leia upon his left thigh and rested his blaster on his propped up right knee. Leia had never been so roughly handled, and it left her a bit shaken, but in a good way. Once again, Han's warm breath was upon her neck, sending chills down her spine. She did her best to recover her own breath, to even it out. She tried to ignore how close he held her, but it was an impossible task. His heat penetrated her body, and his hand upon her midsection felt as if it was burning through the thick material of her jumpsuit. No one had dared to handle her so roughly or to hold her the way he held her now.

The princess couldn't remember the last time she had close human contact since she lost her family. Now it was just Luke's warm, gentle, and comforting embraces and the stiff consolatory hugs from the well-wishers and people who felt sorry for her. Han's arm around her made her feel real, alive. His closeness made her feel safe, and safe was something she hadn't felt since her whole world was destroyed. Leia found herself trembling under his touch, his close proximity. She cursed herself. How could she control every reaction of her body when Darth Vader tortured her and not be able to control herself in Han's embrace?

Han fought to focus on the danger that was coming. Holding the princess on his lap was making it difficult, but there was not enough room for both of them to hide comfortably under the table. He briefly closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet smell of her neck, the floral scent of her hair. He had never been this close to her, never thought he would ever be. He had expected her to throw his hand off her belly, to move as far away from his as she could—though there was no room for that—but she didn't do any of those things.

Solo noticed that she was trembling, and he pulled her even closer to him, tightening his hold on her. He always imagined her fearless, but maybe the haughty-tough-as-nails princess wasn't so tough after all. Of course, the thought of being captured and tortured by Vader as she had been in the past, well, he didn't blame her for feeling afraid. He wanted to make her feel safe, say it's all going to be okay, but he couldn't do that. Who knew who was coming through that door, or what would happen if they got caught?

"One Imp at the door," Tycho whispered into their earpieces. "I don't think he's security."

Han readied the blaster that rested on his right knee. He knew if he had to use it, the blast would attract unwanted attention, and with only one door and the vent as escape routes, their options were limited. The odds were not in their favor, as usual. Han hoped he wouldn't need the blaster.

The door of the room slid open. Luke shrunk deeper into his hiding place between the servers and exchanged looks with the princess and Solo. Leia's large brown eyes were wide and alert. Han grimly pressed his lips together. Luke wasn't sure if his hiding place was best. If anyone turned on the light, he would be noticed. Not that Leia and Han's alcove was any better. It was too close to the computer Leia was using, and the keyboard was still lit. Whoever was coming would be suspicious.

An Imperial stepped into the room, using a torch to see in the dark room. His white boots clanked heavily against the floor. Luke's face screwed up into a question mark, and he gave Han a look.

_Storm trooper,_ he mouthed to the smuggler and princess.

Solo and Leia exchanged looks. Why would a storm trooper be in this highly secure room?

Luke watched the storm trooper remove his helmet and place it on top of a server near the spot where Han and Leia were hidden. The helmet-less storm trooper noticed the lit keyboard and stared at it. Luke cringed. The storm trooper picked up his torch, and the light roamed over the room. Luke pulled himself deeper between the servers.

"The Imps know there is an intruder, just one so I don't think it's us," Redge's confused voice sounded in the three rebels' ears. "The Imps triggered a silent alarm. I'll see if I can break into it, make it sound like a drill."

_Damn it! Just our luck,_ Han cursed inside his head. Someone else decided to break into the Imperials' computers at the same time Han's team did? If C-3P0 was here, he'd likely give them the odds; Han was glad that the droid wasn't there. Could this intruder be rebel, maybe from another Alliance cell? It didn't matter. The intruder was there. Han scooted Leia and himself further back into the shadows of the table.

Luke's heart picked up its pace as the pseudo-storm trooper drew his blaster. He held it ready and used his other hand to hold the torch underneath the weapon. He took slower steps, careful steps as he searched the nooks and crannies in the room. Then the worst possible thing happened: the light of his torch fell upon Leia's face, and the man's weapon was pointed at the princess. Han lifted his blaster.

Then the intruder's mouth opened wide. He reached up to his neck before falling to the ground. That was when Leia noticed the syringe sticking out of the side of his neck. She looked up to find Luke standing over the intruder, staring at the fallen man. Most of his service in the Alliance so far consisted of training flights, reconnaissance, and the occasional dogfight with the TIE fighters he encountered when he and the Rogue Squadron hunted for a new base. He never saw the faces of those TIE pilots he killed from the pilot seat in his X-Wing. Hand-to-hand combat was new to him.

"It was us or him, Kid." Han pushed Leia forward and they emerged from under the table. "You saved our lives."

"Right." Luke responded but was still dazed.

"Redge," Han addressed his tech team. "What's it like out there."

"There's some confusion," Redge answered. "I was able to cancel the silent alarm and announce that it was a drill. I'm not sure they're buying it. They're looking for a man disguised as a storm trooper."

"He was." Han looked at the dead intruder. "Maybe he'll throw 'em Imps off our scent."

"It's best you get out of there before security is nerfed up. They've already called in back up."

Luke squeezed out from between the servers, and Leia went straight to the computer, switching the screen on. Han moved to stand next to the door. He leaned against the wall, holding his blaster ready to kill whoever came through that door next.

"Hurry up and get what you need, Princess. I have a feelin' the Imps are going to figure out where the intruder is."

"A squad of storm trooper, six," Tycho announced. "They're headed your way. Maybe seven meters out coming from the east."

"Just great!" Han looked over at Leia whose fingers flew over the lighted outline of the keyboard. "Time to go princess."

"I almost have it." She dug her teeth into her bottom lip.

"Just the plans, right?"

"Uh…"

"We don't have time for more, Leia," Luke told her.

"Just a couple more minutes…."

"They're closing in," Redge broke in.

"Wedge." Han held his hand to his earpiece. "It's show time!"

"Rodger," Wedge answered back.

Han removed two canisters from his utility belt. "I'll take care of them."

"By yourself?"

Han shrugged and flashed a lop-sided grin, "It's me."

"I'll join you."

"No. Make sure the princess gets out."

"I can take care of myself," she indignantly said.

"Remind me again. Who's in charge of this mission?"

Leia said nothing, and Han partially opened the door. He then tossed a canister out it as far as he could. There was a loud pop and a thick wall of smoke filled the air. "See you at the rendezvous point."

"Han—"

Han stepped out the door and threw the second canister farther than the first. He shut the door, and Luke and Leia could hear him yelling at the top of his lungs.

Leia smiled and shook her head, "He certainly has courage."

"He's being reckless," Luke grumbled. "You got everything?"

"Almost….wait!" She leaned over the screen. "What's this?"

Luke stood beside her, bending over her shoulder to see what Leia was looking at. "I can't believe it."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6:

Han Solo pulled out his holdout blaster, and using both that and his blaster, he fired blindly into the thick white smoke while he ran and yelled at the top of his lungs. Redge said that there were six storm troopers, and Han had to jump over and swerve to avoid two fallen men in white armor. _Four more_, Han thought as he picked up his pace. He kept firing and firing and he fell another one, but then the smoke dissipated and Han skidded to a stop when he noticed a gray wall ahead of him and thee missing storm troopers.

"Oh, shit."

The path was adjacent to another path, and Han pressed his body against the wall closest to the corner, holding his blaster up. The three troopers had to be waiting for him to turn the corner so they could blast him to pieces.

"Redge?" he whispered.

"There's a door on the west side. It houses the cleaning droids," Redge answered. "No living beings, and there's a small door that the droids use at the other end of the room."

"Thanks."

Han ran back, found the door, and slipped into it before the storm troopers figured out he ran back toward where he came from. Hoping that the Imps didn't keep their cleaning droids in a secure room, he palmed the control panel. He sighed in relief when the door slid open. Han her the faint footfalls of armored men, and he crouched down in the crowd of droids, held his weapons ready, and waited.

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Princess Leia Organa's large brown eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open as she stared at the computer screen before her. Her stomach churned, and her body temperature dropped.

"It can't be."

Luke, still staring at the screen, stood up straight and slowly exhaled as he tried to control his emotions. He felt angry; he felt like crying. He felt defeated. He tried to swallow down those emotions but they just got stuck in his throat.

"Another Death Star?"

"That's what it looks like."

Leia's fingers then flew over the illuminated outline of the computer screen. "Looks like this is a concept report; just a rough plan and illustration. No actual plans."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"No. These must be old. There are no actual plans in this file, and none in the other files." She leaned forward and squinted at the screen. "They've started building it," she whispered.

Suddenly Luke felt queasy. "Does it say where they're building it?"

"No." Leia then tapped on a few more keys, and the information was transferred to their microchip.

Luke glanced at the door. "How much longer?"

The princess put her hand on her earpiece. "Han's trapped in a janitor room."

Luke pressed his lips together as he listened to Han's conversation with Redge.

"We're close. We should try to help him."

Although Luke wanted to, he knew it would be the wrong move. "Han gave us an order, and _we _have to get these plans back to the Alliance." The kid felt guilty, but the mission couldn't be jeprodized "He always manages to get himself outa trouble."

"But—"

"We have the plans. What if get captured or killed? This mission would be for nothing."

"Right," Leia answered, but the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach only got worse.

The microchip popped out of the server, and the princess grabbed it. She slid it into a clear cover and then unzipped her jumpsuit until her black lace bra was partially exposed.

Luke's large blue eyes were stuck to the sight of her cleavage. He had to force himself to look away. "What are you doin'?"

"Putting the microchip in a safe spot."

Luke looked up at the ceiling, his cheeks bright red. Leia smiled at her friend's embarrassment, pulled the left cup of her bra away from her breast, and slipped the chip into a small pocket sewn into the garment. She then zipped up her jumpsuit.

"Are you finished?"

"Yeah." She took pleasure in his discomfort as she headed to the door. "We better get out of here."

"Right."

Still smiling, the princess stopped in front of the door. Luke was right behind her. They both drew their blasters.

"Tycho, is it clear?"

"Negative." His voice came through their earpiece. "A squad coming your way."

"Air vent it is."

Without having to communicate, Leia leaned against the wall under the vent, laced her fingers together, and adjusted her stance to give her stability. Luke put his foot in her hands and reached for the opening of the vent while Leia pushed him up. He used the strength of his arms to pull him the rest of the way. Then Luke turned around, lay on his stomach, and reached out his arms to Leia.

Leia grabbed his wrists, and Luke grabbed hers. The young rebel then pulled her up while she used her feet to climb up the wall. Once she reached the opening in the wall, Luke backed up and allowed her to pull herself up the rest of the way on her own. Once she was inside, Luke handed her the grated closer, and Leia tried to refit it over the opening.

"Damn. I can't get it."

"Leave it," Luke ordered. "We don't have the time."

Cursing to herself, Leia put it down, and on her hands and knees she followed Luke. They began to trace their steps at a quick speed.

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Han tried to ignore the chatter in his ear as he listened carefully for his pursuers. The familiar clank of the boots of the armored-men grew louder and louder until Han could hear them no more.

Han exhaled then inhaled, waiting for the inevitable. He squeezed behind a couple of droids before the door slid open. _The storm troopers won't have a chance_, he smugly door opened, and Han blasted two troopers before they realized what was going on. The third one fired back, and the smuggler dunked behind a droid. The droid's head sparked and fell off its body. The storm trooper pressed himself against the wall outside the door and popped out only to shoot into the tiny room. Han was now at a disadvantage. He tried to find another droid for cover while shooting at the Imperial when his enemy stuck his head and arm into the room firing at Solo.

_Okay, maybe I was wrong,_ Han grimaced.

If things continued on as they were, he was doomed. Han glanced at the thin opening at the other end of the janitor room, the door Redge told him about. There was no way he was going to make it and fire at the storm trooper at the same time. Han kept firing each time the trooper's head and arm popped into the room to fire at Han. Solo looked around. He had no choice; he had to take out that Imp before the Imp took him out. Han began to fire continuously at the door, preventing the storm trooper from shooting into the room. The smuggler kept firing as he made his way closer to the door. Once he reached the door, he stopped firing, holstered his weapons, and pressed himself against the wall.

"Captain, did you hear? The princess has the plans." Tycho said into Han's earpiece. "A squad of storm troopers headed their way."

Han exhaled, hoping they would get out before the squad of Imps found them. The trooper outside the door shot into the room a few more times. Han froze and waited. The blast fire ceased, and then the storm trooper entered the room to search for the smuggler. As soon as the soldier was halfway into the room, Han body slammed him against the doorjamb across and began smashing the trooper's arm against the wall until he dropped his blaster. The storm trooper's arm snapped, and he yelled out in pain. Han pulled off the stunned Imp's helmet, grabbed the storm trooper's head, and snapped his neck.

Solo dragged the dead Imp into the janitor room and poked his head out of the door. He quickly pulled back his head when he saw the squad of storm troopers that Tycho warmed Luke and Leia about. They didn't notice Han or the open janitor room door; his enemies were headed straight for the server room down the hall where Luke and Leia were. He drew his blaster, ready to storm the Imps if he had to.

Tycho's voice filled his ears. "Squad of storm troopers headed into the server room.

Han pressed his hand to his earpiece, "Leia?"

"We've escaped through the vent."

Han let out a sigh of relief. "Good girl."

Once he knew that Luke and Leia escaped before the Imps entered the room, Han shut the door and looked around for the droid's exit door. He maneuvered his way around the crowd of frozen droids and looked for the control panel. Solo expelled a Corellian curse word. There was no control panel. The droids probably signaled the door to open. He scanned the room, saw a mouse droid—a droid that would be small enough not to be noticed—and activated it. The droid squealed to life. Solo then ordered it out the door. The tiny droid squealed again and the door slid open. Han slipped through it before it closed again.

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Luke and Leia froze as they heard a large explosion.

Skywalker looked back at the princess and smiled. "Wedge."

She returned their smile. They continued on before hearing a pop from behind. Leia stopped and looked back. A cloud of orange smoke was coming their way fast.

"Gas." She picked up her pace and then pushed Luke forward to make him go faster. "Take the first right you see."

A fork in the vent finally came up as the chemical cloud closed in on them. The path produced another choice: an open channel leading down and another path leading to the left.

"Down," Leia ordered.

Luke looked down the shaft. It was long but he could see the bottom.

"No time to hesitate," Leia said as pushed passed him.

She sat on the edge, her legs hanging over the unknown. The orange cloud of smoke was catching up. Luke grabbed her hand.

"I'll lower you down as far as I can."

Leia took his other hand and allowed him to lower her down. When Luke couldn't lower her any farther, he let her go, and Leia dropped the rest of the way.

"You okay?"

"Perfectly fine," she answered. "I'll break your fall."

He was about to ask how but trails of smoke started to overtake him. Luke rolled to his belly and lowered his legs down. When he was stretched as far as he could go, he felt Leia's hands on his legs.

"Let go."

Luke did as he was told, and to his surprise, Leia kept him pinned to the wall with her body, her hands sliding up his body until he touched the ground. Luke began coughing, and Leia patted him on the pack.

"We got to get out of here."

The princess crouched down and followed another tunnel with Luke closely behind her. A thin trail of orange smoke started to surround them. They both started coughing and their lungs began to burn. Leia blindly led Luke through the air vent, turning down corners and sliding down vertical passages until they came to a grated opening. Beyond it, a handful Imperials and storm troopers were searching the room.

Leia stifled a cough as the orange cloud thickened. "What now?" she whispered.

"We have no choice. I'll go first," Luke said. "You cover me."

"I don't know…"

"We don't have the time." Luke squeezed pass her.

The princess lay on her belly and drew her blaster. The young aspiring Jedi kicked out the grated cover and activated his light saber as he jumped down into the room. Immediately, Leia began firing at the Imps. She took out two officers and three storm troopers before they knew what was happening. Once the Imperials realized they were being attacked, they began firing back. Luke used his light saber to block the blasts. The lasers ricocheted off the elegant weapon, some lasers bouncing back and taking out more Imperials.

The orange smoke surrounded Leia, and she began coughing violently. She fought through her discomfort and kept firing until none of their enemies were standing. Luke deactivated his light saber, attached it to his belt, and grabbed Leia under the arms. He fought the urge to cough, the urge to breathe, as he pulled her to him, her body pressed against his as he lowered her to the ground.

The princess wobbled on her feet and then dropped to her backside as she tried to catch her breath. Through a coughing fit, Luke looked up to find the orange cloud spill out of the air vent, thick and quickly moving.

"Come on *cough* *cough*," he pulled Leia to her feet.

Leia allowed him to pull her to her feet. They both suffered spasms of coughing and they fought to catch their breaths. Their lungs burned, their eyes watered, and their heads spun, making it hard to maneuver their way around the fallen Imps as they made their way to the door. Luke tripped on a body, falling onto it and bringing Leia down with him. Luke came face to face with the dead man, and he froze.

"Come on *cough* *cough* *cough*, Luke."

This time it was Leia who pulled her friend to his feet. Through her watery large brown eyes she saw the door and relief spread through her body. She pulled Luke as she stumbled toward it. Just when they made it to the closed door, it slid open and storm troopers blocked their path. Leia tried to draw her blaster, but her body could take no more, and she dropped to the floor, bringing Luke with her.

"We found them," one trooper announced.

An Imperial officer with a gas mask covering his face stepped forward. He pressed a comlink connected to his uniform. "We have the rebels. Clear the air vents."

A storm trooper roughly tried to pull Leia to her feet, but when she continued to cough and fight for her breath, he picked her up. Two storm troopers took Luke's arms and dragged them out of the room as he was taken over by a coughing fit. Once they were out of the room, the door behind them sealed.

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Redge's voice came through the rebels earpieces. "The princess and Skywalker have been captured. I repeat the princess and Skywalker have been captured."

Han, who had almost reached the rendezvous point, stopped where he was, and closed his eyes. His stomach churned. Not only did the two rebels have the microchip on them, Leia was once again in Imperial captivity and in danger of reliving her experience on the Death Star. And though the Empire wasn't sure she was still alive, they put a bounty on her head. There was a good chance she wouldn't be identified; Redge was an expert at creating new identities and embedding them into the Empire's system. Still, if she was recognized…Han couldn't think about it. All he knew was that he wasn't going to let that happen.

Solo ran back to the large hole in the building that was created by Wedge and his team where a squad of storm troopers lay dead. Han had no plan of rescuing his friends, but he did blast his way out of the Death Star, and that was a giant space station where the odds were against him. Blasting his way out of the Bureau should be a piece of cake.

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The Imperials took Luke and Leia to another room with more security. A storm trooper sat on the ground, supporting Leia and holding an oxygen mask to her face. She greedily took in the air only after the Imperial officer held the mask to his face first. Luke was receiving the same treatment. A Two-One-B droid entered the room and pressed a syringe needle into the rebels' arms. Immediately, Luke and Leia's lungs didn't feel like they were going to pop.

Leia wiped the moisture from her eyes as she felt her strength come back. She pushed the oxygen mask away from her face and shoved the storm trooper away.

"We have a fighter on our hands," the officer sneered. "Major Melue will enjoy that."

_Major Melue._ Leia played the name back in her mind. _Why was it familiar to me?_

"Don't think you'll be to hold us long." Leia raised her chin.

The officer laughed. "My you're an optimistic one." He walked over to the princess and stood over her. "We know there are more than just the two of you. We'll catch them to."

She smiled at him, "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

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"Redge," Han touched his earpiece. "Where are they being held?"

"On the first floor, a room at the end of the hall. They know the princess and Skywalker aren't alone."

Wedge's voice broke in, "Let us take care of it, Solo. We're disguised. We'll have a better chance of extracting them."

Wedge was right, but that wasn't going to stop Han. "They have the microchip." He came up with an excuse. "We can't let it fall into their hands."

"I repeat, Solo. Let. Us. Take. Care. Of. It." Wedge said.

"Who's in charge, Antilles?"

"I'm suggesting that we have the best chance of extracting them." Wedge tried to hold his irritation out of his voice. "You can covertly back us up."

Han was silent for a moment. Again, he was putting the princess ahead of the mission. If he rushed in and blasted his way in and out, the odds would be against them. And he could get someone killed. "Confirmed."

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The princess felt exposed without her blaster at her hip as they were led out of the room and down the hall. They took Luke's blaster, too, and his light saber. The Imperial officer tossed it in the air and caught it as he lead his prisoners—flanked by four storm troopers—through a maze of halls with various doors. They were brought to the lobby. There, a handful of officers and more storm troopers were standing in formation.

"Major Belue," Luke's and Leia's captor said. "We caught these two in the air vents. I believe them to be rebels."

The major stepped forward. "Of course, they're rebels. Right Princess Leia?"

Leia's face paled, but she kept her mien neutral.

"Sir?"

"We've….met before." He stepped closer to the princess. "Don't you remember me?"

Leia lifted her chin. "Should I?"

"On the Death Star?" The major took her chin in his hand. "I'm surprised that you don't remember me. We were….intimately acquainted during my post there."

"Leave her alone." Luke ordered.

Major Bulue smiled at the boy.

It rarely happened, for the princess was quite adept at hiding her emotions, but the fear in her eyes was evident. "All you Imps look alike," she said lamely and pulled her chin from the major's grasp.

Bulue chuckled. He gazed into her large brown eyes for a moment and then addressed the occupants in the room. "You could say, Her Highness saved my life." He returned his attention to the princess. "I was Darth Vader's assistant during her interrogations. I prepped her for the sessions and cleaned up the mess after."

Leia showed no reaction.

"When you failed to be cooperative, I was demoted and stationed here…_before_ you rebels destroyed our glorious Death Star." He ran his hand along the side of her face. "You saved my life."

The princess's bottom lip trembled but not out of fear. She fought to hold in her anger. "And I'll be the one to cause your death."

Again, Major Belue chuckled. "Such bravado." He clasped his hands behind his back and leaned in close to her face. "I wouldn't count on it." He stood up straight. "You're going to be my redemption, Princess, once I hand you over to Lord Vader."

A chill ran down Leia's spine. Luke looked at her. He could feel her fear. He wanted to comfort her, kill this Major Belue, but he was in a helpless situation.


	7. Chapter 7

*To one of my guest reviewer, Heartbeat Stars. I do like your suggestion about Luke and I will try to make him more substantial. I'm usually a Han/Leia writer and tend to focus on them, but I wanted Luke to play a more important part in this story. I guess I'm failing. The reason he's not using so much of his Jedi power is because it's only been a little over a month since Luke received his light saber and Ben was killed. I thought it would make sense that he wouldn't be so proficient yet with his Jedi powers. Thank you for your suggestions. =) *

CHAPTER 7:

Han Solo headed toward the room where Redge said Luke and the princess were being held. He skidded to a stop and dunked into the closest open door when the Imperials stepped out of the room and escorted their captives down the hall. Han kept the door open so he could see the Imps and their prisoners when they walked by. He pressed himself against the wall next to the door and held his blaster ready.

"Solo is near the princess and Skywalker," Tycho informed the rebels. "There are two officers and four storm troopers."

Wedge chimed in, "You're outnumbered, Solo."

"We're always outnumbered," Han mumbled.

"What was that?"

Han's mind churned as he thought of a way to take out the majority of the Imps. Even if he managed to shoot several of the Imperials, Luke and Leia were unarmed and could get caught in the crossfire. Or used as human shields. He withdrew further into the room.

"Are you able to extract them, Wedge?"

"Yes."

"Make sure you get 'em out."

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"Captain, inform Lord Vader that we have captured the princess." Bulue ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Leia's body went cold. She discreetly inhaled and exhaled, her defiant stance revealing nothing she felt inside. Major Bulue looked disappointed, but he soon knew his disappointment would turn to adulation when he handed the princess over to Lord Vader.

"On to other business." The major paced in front of his captors with his hands clasped behind his back. "How many rebels are here?"

"We're alone," Luke answered.

Bulue nodded, and the closest storm trooper to Luke slammed the butt of his rifle into Luke's stomach. He bent over in pain.

"Lying to me will only cause you pain, right princess?"

Leia narrowed her large brown eyes at him but said nothing.

"How many?"

"Enough to surround the building." Leia tilted her head to the right.

The princess winced when the storm trooper hit Luke again.

"No, they're not." The major sighed. "Never mind. My troops out number yours and I know that they're in the building."

"We got what we came for," Leia smiled. "Luke and I were just the decoys. They're long gone by now."

Bulue pulled at his chin. "The rebels aren't known to leave their men behind, especially since one of those _men_ happen to be Princess Leia." He frowned. "Now why would you rebels risk the princess' life by using her as a decoy?"

"I'm a soldier fighting for freedom like the rest of my comrades. I go where I'm needed."

"Huh." The major stopped in front of the princess. "I find that hard to believe." He stepped away from her and then glanced around the room. "Your rebel friends will come to rescue you. We'll just wait."

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Like all the other rebels, Han had heard the whole exchange between Major Bulue and Solo's friends. His teeth were clenched and his ire fired up. He wanted nothing more than to kill the major and then kill him again. Leia must be scared out of her mind, though her voice never betrayed her emotions. And Luke? He was expendable. They could kill him at any moment. Or Vader would torture the kid to get information out of him when the dark lord arrived. He had to get to Luke and Leia before...

"Redge?"

"The lobby. It's to the right and then the left."

"Hold your position, Solo," Wedge said. "We're taking care of it."

"Solo, get to the front of the building. Outside," Narra spoke up. "We may need your help there if the Imps catch on."

Han pressed his lips together. "Fine."

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Major Bulue took a seat, crossed his legs, and rested his arm on the back of the chair. Luke and Leia were standing in the middle of a squad of storm troopers. The major leered at the princess whose intense glare pierced his eyes.

"You're waiting for nothing."

"I'm not so sure." Bulue raised an eyebrow. "While we're waiting why don't you tell me what it is you came for?"

Both Luke and Leia stayed quiet.

"Must I beat the boy?"

"As I said," Leia's voice was low and venomous. "We are just decoys. We only know about our role in this mission."

"I find that hard to believe, Princess." The major swung his leg back and forth. "You're too high up on the food chain to not know." He tapped Luke's light saber on his leg. "And this weapon of a Jedi, is it yours boy?"

"It's mine," Luke answered.

The major nodded at the storm trooper next to Luke, and Luke braced himself as the trooper slammed the butt of his blaster into Luke's gut. Skywalker grunted, bent over, and put his hands on his knees to keep himself from falling down.

Leia clenched her fists. "You're going to pay for this."

"What is a boy like you doing with a light saber?"

Still bent over, Luke looked up. "I inherited it."

"So you're a Jedi?"

Skywalker managed to stand up straight. "I will be."

"Hmm…you'll will be….unless you're dead. Nevertheless, Lord Vader will be quite interested in you."

Just then the front doors of the lobby opened up, and were held in that position by the Imperial guards. In walked an Imperial colonel general flanked by two 501st storm troopers. Major Bulue rose to his feet and saluted.

"Are these the prisoners?"

"Yes, sir."

The colonel general signaled his storm troopers to retrieve the prisoners. "Lord Vader will be pleased."

Bulue blocked the troopers' path.

"Lord Vader's not coming here?"

"He's much too busy to deal with such trivial matters."

"Trivial?" He walked over to the princess and grabbed her arm. "But this is Princess Leia Organa."

"I'm just following Lord Vader's orders. Now please get out of the way and let us do our job."

The major smug expression melted away. Instead, his face was contorted in confusion and disappointment. Yes, sir," he mumbled as he stepped aside and signaled his troopers to allow the colonel general access to his captives.

One of the 501st troopers grabbed Luke's arm, and the other grabbed Leia, pulling them out of the circle of storm troopers.

"That light saber," the colonel general pointed to the weapon in Bulue's hand. "Where did you get it?"

"The boy had it on him."

"Lord Vader will want that." The colonel general held out his hand. "I'll take it."

Reluctantly, the major handed the light saber over. "There are still rebels out there. The princess claims that they stole something."

"What did they manage to steal…on your watch, Major?"

Bulue looked at the princess. "She didn't say what."

The colonel general shook his head. "You are not very good at your job. I wouldn't be surprised if Lord Vader demotes you. Again."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll be on our way now."

The colonel general turned on his heal and started to lead his prisoners out the door.

A junior officer approached the major. "Sir, we got word from Lord Vader."

The colonel general and his storm troopers stopped in their tracks.

Bulue narrowed his eyes on the colonel general. "Yes?"

"He said he will arrive in two standard hours."

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Han Solo stayed in the shadows outside the building listening to Wedge con the major. Wedge was right; sending Antilles' team in to extract the princess and Luke was better than blasting their way out of there. Han smiled and waited for them to exit the building. But his smile fell when he heard that Wedge's cover was blown, and Vader was on his way to Vivicus.

"Imperials coming your way, Captain Solo."

_Great._ Han cursed to himself. There went their chance to walk out the front door.

That left Solo with one choice: to blast his way in and out. He left the shadows of his hiding place and approached the closest security guard. He creeped up behind the guard and with lightning fast speed, Han wrapped his arm around the man's neck, twisted the man so he faced his comrade, grabbed his captive's arm, and forced the guard to shoot his comrade. Then Han tightened his arm around the guard and waited until the man was limp. Han dropped the man and retrieved the guards' weapons. The smuggler then busted through the front door.

At that moment, the lights went out. When they came back on, they were red and flickering, making it harder to see. An alarm began to scream as the fire sprinklers came on.

"Way to go Redge, Tycho!" Han exclaimed.

Narra and Hobbie removed their storm trooper helmets and joined Han in his assault against their surprised enemies. Wedge tossed Luke his light saber, and Skywalker ignited his weapon, swung it in highly controlled arcs and twists, blocking the incoming fire. Leia dropped to her knees and slid toward the nearest fallen storm trooper. She grabbed the trooper's rifle, jumped to her feet, and joined in the fire fight.

The battle was fierce, confusing, and there were few places to take cover. Still, in all that confusion, the rebels managed to take down all the storm troopers and most of the Imperial officers. Those left alive dropped their weapons and held their hands up.

"The Imps surrendered, Redge." Han touched his earpiece. "Send our coordinates to Chewbacca and get to the rendezvous point."

The lights continued to flicker, but the alarm died down and sprinklers ceased. The princess wiped water from her eyes, walked through the carnage, and check the faces of the Imperial officers. She stopped and stared down at Major Bulue who was cowering behind a desk.

"Get up," she demanded.

The major looked terrified. He held up his hands but didn't move.

Leia pointed her rifle at him as the other rebels looked on. Bulue stood up on his shaking legs. The princess glared at the man who terrorized her on the Death Star, her chest rose and fell with each breath.

"Your Highness," Bulue's voice was devoid of his earlier smugness. "You come from Alderaan, a peaceful planet, surely—"

"Alderaan's gone."

"But I'm sure you carry the mercy of—"

"Shut up!"

Luke went cold inside and an invisible weight pressed down on his chest. "Leia…."

"He deserves it." Han quietly said as he glared at Bulue.

"Reinforcements are closing in," Redge said in their ears.

"We need to get outa here, Leia," Luke told her, but Leia ignored him.

Narra, Hobbie, and Wedge held their breaths and stared wide-eyed at the princess. _Would she…?_

Leia moved closer to Bulue and held her rifled inches away from the trembling man's chest. She gritted her teeth together and her finger tightened on the trigger. The man at the other end of the rifle winced as he awaited his fate. Then the princess lowered the rifle and pulled the trigger. The blast hit the major in his knee. Major Bulue cried out in pain, fell to the ground, and grabbed his wound leg.

"Vader will do worse to you than I could ever do," she said, her voice low and venomous.

When the princess remained frozen where she was, Han went to her and took her hand. "Come on."

The rebels turned to the front doors to find a large squad of storm troopers approaching the tinted glass doors at a fast pace.

"We can't go out that way," Narra pointed out.

"But we can go out through the opening we blasted into the building," Wedge said.

"Where?" Luke asked.

"In the back of the building." Wedge frowned. "I'm not sure which way."

"I do." Han ordered, "Let's go."

Han released Leia's hand and took the lead as the group of rebels ran down the hallway to the right that broke off of the lobby. Narra took up the back, occasionally twisting around to check if any of the storm troopers were behind them. He saw none but heard the familiar clank of boots in the distance.

The flashing red lights provided little illumination but made great cover. With the Imps helmets on, Han hoped that they would have a harder time seeing. He figured the storm troopers would storm every path leading out of the lobby, and he hoped that they wouldn't turn into a hallway that led straight into the Imps' path.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened when they turned the corner. Han motioned the team back and readied the rifle he took from a fallen storm trooper.

"How many?"

"More than we can handle," Solo reported. "We need an alternate route."

"This place is a maze," Hobbie's frustration colored his voice.

"Where this opening you blasted?" The princess asked.

"At the back end of the building. The right side," Wedge answered.

"Follow me." Leia took the lead.

She led them back the way they came, stopped at a fork in the road, poked her head around the corner of the wall, and headed left followed by a sharp right. Each time she saw a squad of storm troopers headed there way, she changed directions until they reached the place where Wedge's team blasted through the wall.

"Nice work princess," Hobbie smiled.

"We're not clear yet," Narra pointed out. "They're gonna figure out where we went."

A thick chain link fence lay between them and their freedom. Obviously, the Imperials weren't worried much about security. But then, the damage they did to the structures surrounding the Bureau probably discouraged the beings in the area from breaking into the building.

"This way." Wedge took over as lead, crouched down next to the fence, gritted his teeth, and pulled back a tear in the fence with all of his strength.

Wedge held it open as his comrades crawled through it. He escaped through it after everyone got out. Then blaster fire exploded around them. Han and Narra stopped, turned back, and fired at the storm troopers coming through the hole, felling them two by two. But with every one they shot, another one replaced it, and Han knew that they couldn't stop them all. Wedge pulled out a grenade and tossed it at the blasted opening in the wall. Then Wedge and the others took off to the nearest cover behind piles of rubble. The grenade exploded near the impromptu opening, killing at least seven storm troopers. The other troopers pulled back giving the rebels time to clear the open field and find better cover.

Narra found cover in a building with blown out windows to the right of the building, while Hobbie moved closer to the left, finding cover behind a large pile of crumbled permacrete. Wedge, Luke spread out and took cover behind a burnt out speeder. Leia headed to the left, but Han grabbed her hand.

"I can take care of myself, Captain," Leia shouted over the blast fire.

"I know," Han answered but he didn't release her hand. "Dodonna and the High Command would have my head if anything happened to you."

She scowled at him but allowed him to lead her to advantageous cover.

Despite being outnumbered, the rebels were holding their own. The opening in the wall was small all around and the storm troopers had a difficult time getting through it. Narra and Hobbie fired at those troopers exiting the opening in the wall, and the others concentrated on the others that got through.

Then the worst possible thing happened; the storm troopers began pouring out of each side of the building, firing in the direction of the rebels. It took just seconds for several Imps to burn through the fence using a laser torch. Luke and Hobbie concentrated their fire on the storm troopers on the left while Narra and Wedge focused on the trooper coming from the right. Han spat out a Corellian curse as he and Leia concentrated on the ones coming straight at them.

The rebels kept enough fire coming to force the Imps to find their own cover. The rebels hit their marks now and then, and were fortunate that none of them had been hit—save for the occasional permacrete falling from the crumbled buildings above them when the storm troopers missed their mark—but Han wasn't certain how long they could hold out.

"Where's Chewie?" Han glanced up at the sky. "He should be their already."

While he didn't see the _Millennium Falcon_ coming to their rescue, he noticed that Tycho and Redge got out and had joined the fight. Han was glad about that. They needed all the fire power they could get. Han laughed in relief as he saw the rocket launcher on Tycho's shoulder. The techie fired into a dilapidated building where a group of storm troopers were taking cover, bringing the building down on top of them. Redge let out a "whoop", and the other rebels winced as his loud outburst came through their earpieces.

Han looked over at Luke who was several meters to his left. Luke, who also picked up a rifle from a fallen storm trooper, was rapidly firing at the storm troopers. Solo looked out at the kid's targets and then at Luke. He noticed Skywalker was head was exposed as he fired.

"Luke, watch your head."

But Luke didn't seem to hear Han. Skywalker's brow was knitted in concentration, and his large blue eyes were half closed as if he were in a trance. He continued firing from his same position, and Solo couldn't help but be in awe of his friend's skill with the rifle. The kid managed to hit his mark nine times out of ten, even picking off the ones whose head popped up for seconds as they fired on the rebels. The farm boy was not only a highly skilled pilot, but quite adept with a fire arm and his light saber. It was hard to believe that the kid was fresh off the moisture farm and had no training in any of these activities.

Just then a dirty bomb was lobbed into the open field that separated the rebels from the Imperials. Han grabbed Leia, and she hit her head hard against the ground when Han threw his body over her. He wrapped his arms around his and her head as the dirty bomb exploded. Some of the building behind them fell in pieces, landing on Han.

Leia opened her eyes, "Han?"

"Call out!" Wedge ordered.

"Narra."

"Hobbie."

"Luke."

"Tycho."

"Redge. Tycho and I are trapped."

"Leia," the princess called out, her voice heavy with distress. "Han's badly hurt!"


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8:

"Han's hurt!" Leia called out. "Luke!"

"I'm coming," he answered as he rushed to his friends, running bent over behind the cover while continuing to fire on the enemy.

"Pick up your assault," Wedge ordered. "Keep the fire off of Luke."

Before the dust had cleared from the dirty bomb the Imperials used, the firefight picked up with a greater fierceness than before.

"Redge, Tycho," Wedge called out. "What's your status?"

"A little banged up but still up to the fight," Tycho answered.

"Still have more rockets?"

"Three more."

"Use them wisely, but use them now!"

Luke dunked as a blast exploded on wall right above his head. He hurried to Leia and Han, occasionally tripping over crumbled permacrete. The blaster fire was continuous seemed to follow him, but he was more worried about his friend about getting his head shot off.

Then Luke heard a whizzing whine cross the field, followed by muffled screams as permacrete tumbled down on a group of storm troopers—at least eight—across from Skywalker. Luke looked out and smiled as he saw the damage Tycho's and Redge's rocket launcher did. The blast fire was drawn off of him and now concentrated on the direction of where the rocket was launched. The aspiring Jedi was able to reach Leia and Han without having to worry about being shot.

"Luke," Leia breathed in relief as her friend knelt down beside her and Han.

The princess had tried to wiggle her way out from under Han, but she only managed to partially free herself and was now supporting herself on her elbows. There was a pile of permacrete on top of Solo, and his respiration sounded funny to Luke. He began pushing the permacrete off the smuggler's back, struggling with the larger pieces. Leia managed to squeeze out from under Han the rest of the way and helped Luke remove the permacrete.

Once the permacrete was cleared off of Han, Luke helped Leia turn over Han. Solo was conscious but struggling to breathe.

"Help me lie him down," Leia ordered. Then she spoke to Han, "You're going to be fine."

Han didn't seem as confident as she. Luke and the princess rolled Han all the way to his back. Luke adjusted him so that the smuggler's head rested on his lap.

He's bleeding on his side," Luke's voice rose. "And his breathing is impaired."

Leia lifted Han's chin. "His trachea is deviating to the right. His lung collapsed," the princess informed Luke. "Put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding."

Luke unzipped his jumpsuit, removed his undershirt and pressed it against Han's wound. Han winced in pain, and his raspy shallow respiration sped up.

"What are we going to do about his lung?"

"Fix it."

"How?"

But Leia was too focused on restoring Han's respiration and didn't hear Luke's question. She dug through her pouch, pulled out a syringe, and bit off the cover on the tip. She aimed the needle and stabbed it into the side of Han's thigh. Han sucked in an abbreviated breath followed by quick shallow whizzing breaths, and Leia felt his heart beat faster.

"Adrenaline and a pain killer," she informed Luke.

The princess pulled the plunger out of the syringe, yanked back the collar of Han's shirt, and felt around Han's chest. She pressed her lips together and then stabbed the plunger-less syringe into his lung, and although Han's respiration was still rapid, his breaths were deeper.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Luke looked at Leia in awe.

"When I was fourteen, I helped with triage in the Battle of Plicaucus," Leia said. "Let's look at his wound."

Luke pulled his shirt off the bleeding hole on Han's side. There was a piece of permametal sticking out of the wound.

"How…bad?"

Luke and Leia exchanged looks. Luke spoke up, "Not bad. You'll survive."

The princess bit her lip and said nothing as she looked into Luke's large blue eyes. He shrugged.

"There's a piece of shrapnel in your wound, Han," Leia calmly said. "We're gonna have to get it out." She looked around and spotted one of her comrades not too far away. "Wedge, we need your help."

"I'm coming."

"I have to see how deep the shrapnel is, Han. I gave you a pain killer, but this is still going to hurt." She glanced up at Luke. Keep him steady."

Luke grabbed Han's shoulder as Han braced himself. Leia slipped on a latex glove, put her finger into his wound, and felt around. Han cringed but held in his discomfort.

Leia relaxed. "It's not deep, and I don't think it nicked any of your organs." She gazed into Han's eyes and smiled at him, though the smile didn't touch her eyes. "You'll be okay."

"Great," Han breathed, though he still wasn't confident in her assessment.

"What do you need me for?" Wedge asked.

Another rocket whined through the air. Luke looked up. This time it was aimed at a squad of storm troopers on the ground, killing the whole bunch.

"I need you and Luke to hold Han as still as possible," Leia instructed them. "I'm going to pull out the shrapnel, but I need to pull it straight out so that I won't nick anything important."

"Okay."

With Han's head still resting in his lap, Luke wrapped his arm around the smuggler's shoulder and put his weight into it. Wedge grabbed Han's hips and leaned into him for extra stability.

"Okay, Han. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The princess dug her teeth into her bottom lip. She placed one hand on his waist and pinched the piece of shrapnel with the fingers of her other hand. At a very slow pace, Leia pulled on the permametal, careful to pull it straight up. Han clenched his jaw, but moans of pain still escaped.

"Sorry, sorry," she whispered as she continued to pull the shrapnel out.

Finally, Leia had the piece out. She expelled a pent up breath and wore a smile of relief. She reached into her pack and pulled out a small can of bacta foam.

"This is a far replacement for stitches, but it'll clean out the wound and control the bleeding." The princess sprayed the foam directly into Han's wound. Then she turned to Luke. "It's not enough. Give me yours."

Luke dug into his pack and handed the can to Leia. She filled the wound with more bacta foam. Luke pulled out a small roll of medical tape and handed it to Leia. The princess ripped a strip of Luke's blood stained undershirt and placed it over Han's wound. Wedge helped her tape it over Han's wound.

Solo slowly sat up. His pain was minimal and he felt ready to rejoin the firefight. That was when they noticed that things had quieted. They turned their attention to the open field.

"Oh, shit."

In the middle of the field stood an Imperial officer who held Narra by the back of his neck and pointed a blaster at the rebel's head. A squad of storm troopers created a crescent around the Imperial and his captive.

"Stay down," Han ordered Luke, Wedge, and Leia.

"Who is in charge?" the officer yelled.

Han Solo started to stand, but Leia caught his hand. He gave her a small closed-mouth defeated smile, and she let go.

"I am." Han held his hands up but still had his blaster.

"Drop your weapon."

The smuggler did as he was told.

"How many are you?"

"I dunno. I haven't done a head count. For all I know, you killed some of my men."

"And you killed mine," The officer countered. "Surrender and your man will be spared."

"Don't do it, Solo!" Narra yelled.

Han bit the inside of his cheek. There was no way he was going to let that Imp kill Narra but he couldn't just hand over his team to the Empire, especially Leia. Darth Vader would be here shortly. Han glanced around. He no longer saw Tycho and Redge. He hoped they managed to find a good place to hide. And Hobbie? Han couldn't see him at all. The poor kid could have been killed.

"How do I know you won't kill him or my men after we surrender?"

"You have my word."

"You'll just hand us over to Vader," Han countered. _Where was Chewie?_

"At least you won't be dead."

If he surrendered, they'd all be subject to interrogations, which would come with torture. Leia could withstand that; she proved that before. But his other team members, there's no way they would hold up under that kind of pain. If Han cooperated with this Imp, he would be dooming the whole Alliance.

But Solo wasn't going to let Narra be killed while the rest of the team made their escape. His hazel eyes fell to his comrades next to him. His eyes widened and retracted.

_Where's Leia?_ Han mouthed to Luke.

The kid looked around. He hadn't noticed her leave. Luke ran his lips between his teeth, as his heart began to beat hard against his chest, and his anxiety rose. Perhaps Leia retreated deeper into the crumbled building. Perhaps she escaped did so to avoid being interrogated by Vader. Luke had sensed her fear growing during the exchange between Han and the Imperial officer. He was glad she would get away, but he knew she wouldn't just abandon them, which caused him more anxiety.

Han's didn't know if he was angry or relieved by her absence. She had to be afraid, but he just couldn't see her running away and leaving the team.

"You're greatly outnumbered!"

"But we've managed to take out quite a bit of your storm troopers."

"Your time is running out," the Imperial called out. "Either you surrender and spare this man his life, or my troops will kill all of you. You can't take out all my storm troopers."

Han grimaced. This stupid Imp was right. Do they fight to the death? Or do they surrender? He wasn't looking forward to an Imperial interrogation, but what choice did he have?"

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The princess listened to Han and the officer exchange words. She knew Han was stalling, but she also knew his stalling would do no good. They had been defeated. She had to move fast. Leia scaled the rubble and crushed permacrete that once was an apartment building or something of that sort that had multiple levels. The destroyed building's remains were piled high and she was able to climb into the still standing building next to it with stealth. Once she got into what she figured was the second floor, she rushed over to the glassless window. She positioned herself so that she would be able to stay as still as possible, laid the nose of her rifle with care on the windowsill, closed one eye, and looked through the sighting. Leia knew she had only one shot so this shot had to count.

The princess held the rifle as steady as she could. Han's time was running out, which meant the team would be surrendering. She inhaled, held her breath, and squeezed the trigger.

"Hah!" the princess exclaimed as her shot nailed her target: the head of the Imperial officer. She then began to pick off the storm troopers.

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"Leia?" Han looked up where the fatal shot came from.

Luke smiled. "Yeah, Leia."

Han returned Luke's smile as his awe for the diminutive princess grow. But they weren't out of trouble yet.

Narra dropped to the ground as all hell broke loose. Most of the Imps fire was focused on Leia's position, but other storm troopers began firing at the other rebels. Han dunked down as he was bombarded with blaster fire. He cursed to himself; Narra was still out there and exposed. He saw Narra retrieve the fallen Imperial's blaster, but the rebel was greatly outnumbered and in the open. However, Han, Wedge, and Luke were pinned down and they couldn't do anything for Narra. The best they could do for their comrade was cover him with blaster fire when they had the opportunity.

Then Luke climbed to his feet, lit his light saber, and leapt over the permacrete that served as their cover.

"Luke!" Han yelled but the kid was already out in the open.

Intent on reaching Narra, the aspiring Jedi twirled his light saber in several full circles, blocking the blaster fire that came his way. He twisted and turned his weapon. The blaster fire from the storm troopers ricocheted off the lighted blade and hit his enemies. Narra kept firing from his seated position. Luke blocked the blaster fire that came at Narra, grabbed Narra's upper arm, and hefted him up to his feet. Narra and Luke stood back to back as they fought off the storm troopers. Han and Wedge climbed to their knees, exposed their heads and shoulders, and fiercely fired at their enemies. Shots came from Hobbie's position as well, which brought relief to Han. Tycho and Redge also opened fire at the storm troopers. They all managed to pin down the Imps, allowing Luke and Narra to make it back to the relative safety behind the permacrete rubble.

Leia kept picking off the storm troopers from her position in the window of the building, drawing a lot of fire her way. She felt secure in her position; it'd take a skilled sniper to take her out, and she hadn't noticed any Imperial snipers out there. The storm troopers continued to miss her, most of their blaster fire hitting the spot above her and below her….

The princess expelled a Corellian curse she picked up from Han when she figured out what the Imperials were doing. She pulled her rifle out of the window and began backing up. But it was too late; the wall above her fell upon her as the wall she had propped her rifle on crumbled. She screamed as she disappeared into the rubble.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"Leia!" Luke Skywalker froze and looked to where Leia once was.

Han glanced at the building where Leia had been to find the front of it was now crumbled permacrete. His heart dropped into his stomach. _Why did she have to be so reckless? And why can't that girl follow orders?_ Ignoring the pain, Han sat up and tried to push himself to his feet. Wedge grabbed Han's shoulder.

"You maybe feel like it, but you're in no condition to help her." Wedge stood up. "Luke and I will go. We'll find her." He forced optimism in his voice but his face told another story.

Han bit the inside of his cheek. _Hopefully unharmed and in one piece._ But the collapse was significant. Even if they found her, she could be buried deep and badly injured, and they may not be able to get her out.

"She'll be okay," Luke assured Han. _She had to be okay. _

The aspiring Jedi dropped the rifle he was using and grabbed his light saber off of his utility belt. Wedge kept his blaster as he followed Luke. They sprinted in Leia's direction. Luke blocked the incoming blaster fire with the ancient weapon without little thought as he focused on getting to Leia. Wedge squeezed off a shot or two but the uneven surface of the crumbled permacrete made it difficult to aim.

Satisfied that they took out the rebel "sniper", the storm troopers stopped firing in her direction. Some turned their attention to Luke and Wedge as they scaled the fallen building, and Narra and Han focused on taking out those Imperials. Redge, Tycho, and Hobbie kept up their end of the fire fight, but things were looking grim for the rebels. Every time they took out one storm trooper, two more replaced that dead one and then two more replace each those. Soon the energy packs of their blasters and rifles would run out, and they would be killed or worse, captured.

Suddenly, the sound of a large engine closed in.

"Chewie!" Han whooped.

Chewbacca spun the _Millennium Falcon_ around, using the drop guns under the front of the ship to shoot at the storm troopers. Those troopers that were not shot down ran for cover.

"All troops fall in!" Han ordered as the _Falcon _touched down.

Han's beloved ship landed in the open field and lowered its ramp. Hobbie, Redge, Tycho, and Narra jumped out from their cover, continued to fire at the storm troopers, and ran to the ramp.

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"Leia!" Luke yelled. "Can you hear me? Leia!"

"I'm here," she answered from beneath a pile of permacrete.

"Over there," Wedge yelled as he climbed over the rumble.

Luke caught up with Wedge and found the princess trapped under a pile of permacrete. Luke's heart pounded against his ribs and then dropped into his stomach. Although the permacrete fell in a way that created a pocket, saving Leia from being crushed, some of the pieces that fell upon her were large and heavy and looked unstable. There was a chance the princess would be crushed if they removed the wrong piece at the wrong time. He and Wedge might not be able to get her out on their own, and there was no one who could help. Luke closed his eyes and pictured the permacrete chunks in his mind, working out the puzzle.

"Let's start with this one."

Luke and Wedge struggled to remove the largest piece that rested precariously rested upon two tilting chunks of permacrete that threatened to collapse on the princess' head. Luke then nodded toward the next piece, and they removed that. Wedge trusted Luke's decisions and followed his lead. When they tried to remove the next piece, the permacrete around it tumbled and slipped down. Leia used one arm to protect her head. Wedge and Luke froze.

I'm okay. Just get me out of here."

When they removed enough permacrete to completely see Leia, they found that her arm and one leg were trapped.

"Are you in pain?" Wedge asked.

"Not really."

"Is she hurt?" Han's worried voice came through his earpiece.

"I'm fine," Leia answered. "Just stuck."

"Not for long," Luke assured her.

Skywalker and Antilles freed Leia's arm. Wedge took hold of her arm and felt her bones while she opened and closed her fingers. Although it was sore, everything was in working condition. Her arm felt well enough for Leia to use both of her hands to help Luke and Wedge remove the permacrete that trapped her leg. Once most of the permacrete was removed, Leia wiggled her way out of the indentation in the rubble, letting out a few yelps as she freed her leg the rest of the way. She seated herself on the crumbled permacrete and examined her leg.

"How's your leg?" Luke asked her as he felt for any broken bones.

"What's wrong with her leg?" Han asked through the earpiece.

"Nothing," Leia answered without hiding her irritation. She moved her ankle in circles and wriggled her toes. Like her arm, it was sore, but her pain was minimal.

"She's okay, Han," Luke reassured the smuggler.

"Let's get you outa there," Wedge smiled at her.

Luke and Wedge positioned their hands under her arms, and together they lifted out of the hole. She used her knees to help them pull her out the rest of the way. White dust powdered Leia's entire body, and her jumpsuit was torn in several places that revealed scratches and bruises on her pallid skin. The dust from the permacrete stuck to her injuries, and a scrape marred her cheek. For all the damage done around her, it was a miracle that she survived without any major injuries.

"Thanks. I thought that was the end of me." Leia gave Wedge a hug.

"It'd take more than a collapsed building to take you out, Princess." Wedge smiled as she released him.

Leia turned to Luke and hugged him as well. Luke sensed her relief and gratitude, her belief in him. She had faith that he'd get her out, even though Luke had doubts of his own. He soaked in her affection. Skywalker had the urge to hang onto her, to never let her go.

Leia turned her head. "The _Falcon!" S_he pulled away from Luke and he reluctantly released her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Han had reached the _Falcon's _ramp, but he stopped there and looked up at where he presumed Luke, Wedge, and (hopefully) Leia were. He couldn't see them and stopped at the bottom of the _Falcon's_ ramp touched his earpiece. "Luke?"

"We got her out." Luke answered into Han's ear. "It's good to see that bucket of bolts."

Han ignored the insult. "Can you make it down here?"

The whine of TIE fighters filled the air. Solo looked up.

"Not in time," Luke answered. He must have heard the TIE fighters as well.

"Where are you?"

"Here." Luke climbed up to the highest point of the rubble.

Han cursed. Luke was right. By the time the rebels climbed down to the _Falcon_, those fighters would be on top of them.

"You go," Luke instructed. We'll get out another way.

There was no way Han was going to leave his friends behind. But what could he do? He smiled and snapped his fingers as an idea came to mind.

Han ran up the ramp, closing it behind him. "Chewie, lift the _Falcon_ off the ground and to the left. Move as close as you can to the building that's partially destroyed."

Then Han addressed Luke. "Can you guys jump on top of it and come in through the top hatch?" It was the best way to get them out of there, but he was also assessing the damage done to Leia.

"Sure."

Chewie lifted the ship off the ground, shifted to the left, and hovered in that position.

"We're in position. Now or never."

The princess jumped first followed by Luke. Wedge jumped, but only half of his body landed on the _Falcon. _ Luke and Leia rushed over to him and pulled him up the rest of the way. Narra was there at the open hatch to make sure they made it into Han's beloved ship.

"I have them," Narra reported. "We're all clear!"

The _Millennium Falcon_ quickly lifted above the broken buildings and picked up speed as the TIE fighters closed in.

"Narra, Hobbie, get to the gun turrets!" Han ordered as he took his place in the pilot's seat. The painkiller was wearing off and the adrenaline waning, but Han was determined to get them out of there.

A little out of breath, Leia, Wedge, and Luke entered the cockpit. Tycho and Redge sat in the seats behind the pilot's and co-pilot's seats. Han glanced back at the new arrivals.

"Glad you could join us."

"We wouldn't have missed it," Luke quipped, smiling.

Oh," Leia exclaimed. "I almost forgot."

The princess unzipped her jumpsuit, exposing her cleavage and part of her black lace bra. Luke lifted his eyes to the ceiling while the rest of the men stared at her with wide open mouths. Although they didn't want to disrespect the princess, they couldn't take their eyes off her. When the cockpit fell silent, Han looked over his shoulder. His eyes filled with the sight of Leia, and he sported a lop-sided grin.

"Shut up, Captain."

"I'm too mesmerized to say anything."

"That's you not saying anything?" Leia raised an eyebrow.

She pushed her breast out of the way and dug into the pocket inside her bra. Leia pulled out the microchip that was still in its plastic cover. She held it out to Redge. "I think you'd want this."

"Uh…thanks." Redge's cheeks turned red, and he forced himself to look the princess in the eyes.

Without noticing Redge's embarrassment, Leia zipped up her jumpsuit as everyone but Han and Chewie watched. Han and Chewbacca were too avoiding Imperial blast fire. There were only four TIE fighters left after Hobbie and Narra took out three, but the fighters were elusive so Han had to implore unexpected moves. Redge and Tycho held onto the seats, made their way to the cockpit door, and used the bulkhead for balance as they made their way to the lounge. Leia and Wedge took their empty seats while Luke stood behind Leia, holding the chair for balance.

The _Falcon _was jolted by a blast from a TIE fighter. Noticing Han was hunched over the controls of the _Falcon_ and favoring his left side, Leia placed a hand on his shoulder. Han's forehead was covered in sweat and his expression was strained.

"Han, you're in no condition to fly."

Chewbacca put his two credits in, a bit more forceful than Leia.

Han at first ignored them, but he was feeling shaky and drained as he controlled the ship. He wasn't going to be at his best, and they needed him to be his best right now. Han muttered an Alderaanian curse for Leia's sake and then looked back at Skywalker who stood next to Leia. "Luke, take over."

"Wedge is more experienced than me."

"That's an order." Han said as he rose from the pilot's seat.

Wedge was one of the best pilots in the fleet, but Luke flew more on instinct and wasn't yet corrupted by Alliance training. The kid knew how to break the rules. Han stood with a groan. His legs were shaky and he leaned heavily on the back of the pilot's seat. Luke squeezed around the smuggler and took the helm of the ship with Chewie as his co-pilot. Luke glanced at the Wookie, and Chewbacca gave him an encouraging nod and growl.

Leia pulled Han's arm over her shoulder and leaned her hip into Han. Wedge took his other arm. They bore Solo's weight as they helped him to the medical station. When they reached their destination, the pair of rebels deposited the smuggler onto the medical station's single bed. Han remained in a seated position.

"You can go, Wedge. They might need you," Leia said. "I can handle Han—"

"Handle me?"

Leia pushed an oxygen mask over Solo's mouth and nose. "_Handle_ him."

"Okay." Wedge looked at Han and shrugged. "She out ranks you."

"Not on this mission." Han's muffled voice escaped through the mask.

"Whatever," Wedge answered and then hurried out of the medical station.

"I'm still in charge of this mission, Your Worship," Han argued.

Leia went to the sink and washed her hands.

"You know I'm right."

She exhaled, "The mission's over."

"Not until we reach the base."

"You're right."

Leia let the water flow over her dirt-covered hands before squeezing soap into her cupped hand and putting her hands back under the water. The last thing Han expected was for her to agree with him. He had expected an argument to ensue or lecture from her about all the wrong choices he made, but her shoulders were slumped and she was quieter than usual. She turned around to Han but kept her large brown eyes on the floor. Han removed the oxygen masked, leaned forward, and caught her attention.

"You okay?"

"MM-hmm," she nodded. "Just a bit scratched up." She replaced the oxygen mask on his face and broke eye contact with him.

He removed the mask again. "And dusty," he pointed out.

Leia looked down at herself and shook her head. Then she looked at Han. You should see yourself."

"I stayed cleaner than you."

"Sure." She brushed some dust out of his hair.

Han closed his hazel eyes under her touch, opened them, and noticed the melancholy look in her eyes. Han was quiet for a moment. "Is somethin' botherin' you."

She shook her head, "Just worried about you."

"That's it?"

She looked up at him. "Isn't that enough?"

Han scrutinized her eyes. It was more than that, but he decided to cease with his inquiries for now. "You don't have to worry about me, Princess. I'm okay, thanks to you."

"You're not out of the woods yet."

Han's brow furrowed. She looked so…defeated, but he let it go. "You should clean those scrapes up."

"After I take care of you." She sounded tired. The princess sighed. "Your lung collapsed. Put that oxygen mask back on."

"But you fixed that," he said before putting the mask up to his face.

"I just inflated it." She looked down at the ground for a moment and then ordered, "Take off your shirt."

"As you wish, Your Worship." Han grinned impishly as he removed the oxygen mask.

He didn't get a response from her, not even a blush. Solo started to take off his bloodied shirt and then winced in pain. Leia cringed as if she felt his pain. She stepped in front of him, grabbed the bottom edge of the shirt, and lifted it up his chest, taking care to not let the shirt touch his wound.

"Put up your right arm," she ordered.

The princess tugged the shirt up. She took hold of his arm and pulled it out of the hole. Then she placed her hand on the top of his head and pulled the shirt over it. As she removed his shirt, Han's hazel eyes on her face and he frowned.

He pressed his lips together and then quietly said, "Something _is_ botherin' you."

Without looking at him she said, "No. Hold out your arm."

The right side of Han's face screwed up in pain, and she held the arm hole open wide as she pulled the shirt down his arm with the greatest of care. Leia tossed it to the ground. The _Falcon _then made a sharp turn, throwing her into Han's chest. He caught her with one arm and gripped the bed with the other.

Solo and the princess looked up at the ceiling. They stayed froze in their position until Han's beloved ship to level out. Once it did, Leia realized that her hand was still on the smuggler's chest, and his arm was still around her. She looked at her hand, taking in the feel of his skin, and then stepped out of his embrace. Han let her go.

"Luke's picked up some of your reckless piloting habits. It's driving the Rogue Squadron's commander crazy," the princess quipped as she tried to erase the awkwardness.

"That's all him, Sweetheart," Han said. "He's got some kind of sixth sense like he knows when a shot comes his way before it comes."

When she said nothing, Han looked at her and noticed that her large brown eyes were fixed on his chest. "Like what you see?"

The princess blushed. "Lie back on your side."

Han started to do what he was told, but he was overcome with pain. He bit back the groan in his throat and he slowly lowered himself. Leia took his shoulders, held some of his weight so Han wouldn't be in so much pain, and guided him down. She then lifted his legs onto the bed. The _Falcon_ fell into a nose dive. Leia grabbed the overhead bulk to keep her balance and strapped Han onto the bed with one hand.

"That's not necessary, Your Worship."

"It is if I'm going to stitch you up."

After she washed her hands again, Leia returned to Han's side and slowly removed the medical tape that held Luke's undershirt over the smuggler's wound. She pulled back the bloody material and grimaced.

Han raised his head to see his injury. "Ow." He grimaced. It didn't look too good.

The princess pushed against his shoulder. "Will you just lie down? And put that oxygen mask back on."

"Yes, Your Worship," Han mockingly said as he lay back down but didn't bother with the mask. "You know you are the bossiest person I know. Must be that royalty thing."

"And you can be so difficult."

"Me difficult?" Han's voice was playful and then it sobered. "You're the one who is difficult. You need to learn how to follow orders."

"I follow orders when they make sense."

She studied the wound. The bacta foam slowed the bleeding and prevented any dirt from getting into his wound, but Leia felt it wasn't enough.

"You ignored my orders and recklessly risked your life more than once on this mission."

The _Falcon_ tilted to the left before straightening out.

"I did nothing that you wouldn't have done so there isn't much you can say on this matter. As I said before, this conversation is done," she countered.

"See? Bossy."

Leia paid no mind to his comment. "Where's the antiseptic?"

"Cabinet up there." Han pointed to the cabinet above his head and to the right. "I'm not exactly the best role model."

"You got that right," she said as she went into the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of antiseptic. "You should stop influencing Luke. You're going to get him killed."

"Hey, I can't help it if he looks up to me." Han answered and then said, "You keep goin' on the way you are, you're gonna end up killin' yourself."

"And you?" She shook her head and readied the antiseptic. "This may sting a bit."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

The ship rocked and Han noticed the worried look on Leia's face.

"I strengthened the shields a couple of weeks ago. It'll be fine," Han reassured her.

She pointed the tip toward Han's injury and squeezed the bottle. Han gritted his teeth together as the antiseptic entered his wound.

"All done." She glanced up at him, feeling bad for hurting him although it was necessary. "Where's your suture kit and bandages?"

"In the cabinet over there on the second shelf." Han pointed at the cabinets across from her.

Standing on her tip toes, Leia opened the cabinet and retrieved a clear box that had all the tools she needed. Han watched her, noticing the tears in her jumpsuit and the scrapes they exposed. He pressed his lips together as he recalled how the building came down on her. Although he was wowed by her quick thinking and bravery, she could have died. He inhaled and exhaled to clear that thought out of his mind. He forced himself to focus on the relief he felt when she escaped without any serious injuries.

When Leia walked back to his side with the box, Solo pressed his lips together. Her mind was somewhere else, and where ever it was, it was plain in her face that it nowhere good. He opened his mouth but then shut it, thinking it was better to leave the subject alone. For now.

Leia opened up the container, found some latex gloves, and put them on. She then picked up a vial and syringe, punctured the vial with the needle, and pulled back on the plunger.

"This will probably hurt."

"I can handle the pain." Han smiled at her, hoping to provoke a smile from her.

She did favor him with a smile, however weak and closed-mouthed. Leia punctured Han's skin with the syringe's needle and pressed on the plunger as she moved around the wound. Han's nose wrinkled up with each injection. Leia put disposed of the needle in the biohazard incinerator. The _Falcon _went into a spin. She closed the container, picked it up and grabbed onto the handle on the wall of next to the medical bay bed. Although the artificial gravity system was working, they still got tossed around.

Han looked to the medical bay door, and Leia followed his gaze. "You're not well enough to be up there."

"I'd rather be with here with you anyway," he said though that wasn't completely true.

"I'm sure." The princess pressed her finger around Han's wound. "Feel that?"

"No."

"Good."

Leia threaded the needle and began stitching up Han's wound. Han watched her nimble fingers work. Her punctures were perfectly aligned and spaced out enough to stop the injury from bleeding. Her knots were tight but didn't dig too deep into his skin. As she was about to complete another stitch, the _Falcon_ violently rocked, knocking her against the bed. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Don't worry. She'll hold together."

Leia pressed her lips together and returned to the task at hand. When she completed the last suture, she cut the wiry thread, returned the spool of thread to the box, and dropped the needle into the biohazard incinerator. She picked up the surgi-glue from the container.

"You should stay in bed here so you don't tear your stitches, but I know you won't so I'm going to use surgi-glue too." She spread the glue over the line of stitches. "Hopefully this will keep you together." Leia then frowned at Han. "Put that oxygen mask back on."

Han rolled his eyes but obeyed. He watched her tape a waterproof bandage over his wound, pull of the latex gloves, deposit them in the biohazard incinerator, and replace the suture container into the cabin. Han unstrapped himself and grimaced as he pushed himself into a seated position.

Leia turned around and furrowed her brow. She was about to reprimand him, but the _Falcon_ tipped to the left, and Leia was knocked against Han's chest again. Once again, with her hands on his bare chest, she froze as she waited for the _Falcon_ to even out.

"You just can't get enough of me." Han teased.

When the ship leveled out, she didn't respond to his comment. Instead Leia looked up into Han's hazel eyes. In those large brown eyes, he saw surprise, worry—she _was_ worried about him—pain, and guilt. What did she feel guilty about?

"Tell me." His words were quiet, serious. "What's bothering you?"

The princess noticed that her hand was on his chest, his skin hot beneath her palm. She blushed under the layer of dust on her face, looked down at his chest, and then removed her hand. "I think you have a fever."

The turmoil in her eyes, her muted demeanor was beginning to affect him, and Han held back a comment that would fire her up. She didn't seem up to a fight at the moment. He closed his eyes when Leia pressed the back of hand to his forehead.

"Yes, you definitely have a fever. Where's the acetaminophen?"

"Right here." He took it off the shelf above him.

"I hope this doesn't mean you have an infection." Leia said as she retrieved a glass of water. "Do you need a pain killer?"

"Nah. They just make me hazy."

Han dumped out two pills out of the bottle into his hand, took the glass from her, and gulped down the pills. When Leia took the glass from his hand, Han caught her wrist. She looked down at his hand.

"Let go," she whispered.

"I can't," he whispered back. "I can see you hurting. Please tell me."

She looked up and saw the sincerity in Han's hazel eyes. Her chest rose and fell, and he released her hand. Leia dropped the glass; it shattered on impact. She stared at the broken shards. Then she squatted down and began to pick up the broken glass.

"I'll clean it up."

Han cringed in pain as he climbed off the bed, crouched down, and began picking up the shards of glass. Leia continued to picking the pieces up.

"Really I got it."

Leia ignored him and continued to pick up the glass shards. A particularly large piece sliced open her finger. She gasped and retracted her finger. She then held her digit up and watched the stream of blood snake down her finger, creating a pool of dark red on the floor.

"Damn it, Leia," Han snapped. "I told you to let me do it."

She didn't react to his harsh tone; she just kept watching her blood flow. Han sighed, grabbed Leia's finger, and applied pressure on it. Taking hold of her other arm, he guided her to her feet and walked her over to the sink. Solo turned on the faucet and held Leia's finger under the water.

"You really have to learn to follow orders, Your Worshipfulness." Han kept his tone soft and playful.

"I will when you do, Captain."

Solo smiled as he pressed a flimsy towel around it and kept pressure on it for a moment. With his free hand he reached up into the cabinet and retrieved a bandage. Han lifted the flimsy towel from her finger, and satisfied that the flow of blood had mostly stopped, he wrapped a bandage around the cut. When Han released her, Leia looked at the pieces of glass still littering the floor.

The smuggler placed a hand on the princess's shoulder. "I'll take care of it. That's an order."

Leia nodded and backed up until her back met the wall behind her. She watched him clean up the glass, using a hand-held broom and dust pan he retrieved out of the cabinet under the counter and saw the strain from the pain in his face. After he tossed the glass into the small trash compacter, he turned to her and put his hands on his hips. The strain in his expression dissipated and was replaced with anxiousness.

"I know something's wrong, Leia." He looked into her large brown eyes. "What is it?"

The way he said her name—so gentle and with such concern—shook her to the core. How could someone who had known her for just over a month be so concerned about her? Who was she to him? Some girl he rescued from the Death Star—and for an award. Someone who made sure she wasn't overcome by the trash in the Death Star. Leia touch her hand to her opposite him, the place where he had grabbed her to lift her up onto the trash pile.

Still, they didn't know each other very well. She and Han fought more than often than not. He never inquired about her well-being before—and she was thankful for that since that was all people were concerned about. So why does intrude on her privacy now? Was he really concerned about her?

She remembered how she threw her arms around him, practically jumped into his arms, after the Battle of Yavin. After the Death Star was destroyed. All laughs and giggles, the relief that he came back.

Leia touched the spot on her stomach where Han had held her when they were in the server room hiding from the intruder under the table. She remembered how safe she felt in his arms. She remembered how she threw her arms around him, practically jumped into his arms, after the Battle of Yavin. After the Death Star was destroyed. All laughs and giggles, the relief that he came back even though they knew each other for a day.

Suddenly feeling very heavy, Leia slid down the wall until she was seated on the ground, her knees pulled up to her chest. Han slid down the wall with great care, trying to avoid pain as he sat down next to her. He stretched his left leg out and rested his elbows on his right knee. They sat there shoulder to shoulder in a comfortable silence. To her surprise, she liked him sitting next to her. Instead of it being awkwardly uncomfortable sitting next to this man who was…who was what to her? "Friend" didn't quite seem like the right word. She just knew sitting next to Han in perfect silence seemed natural, safe.

When some time had passed, Solo quietly said, "I'm worried about you."

He said it in a way that was different from the High Command who worried that she was too traumatized to fulfill her duties for the Alliance. It was different than Luke who did care about her—g_enuinely_ worry about her—in a way she couldn't describe. Luke _was_ her friend; she felt that that word described their relationship even though they had only known each other for about a standard month. She had spent time with him when she wasn't busy or when he wasn't off with the Rogue Squadron. He was comfortable and easy to be around, and he shared her ideas and her commitment to taking down the Empire. They had bonded after their experience on the Death Star.

Did she bond with Han after that experience, too? Was that why he was able to make her feel safe?

Solo lifted his hand, scratched his cheek, and then hesitantly took her hand. "You can tell me."

It was Han's his shoulder against her, his hand holding hers that threatened to melt her defenses. Her mouth opened slightly, and she turned toward him; her large brown eyes met his. She couldn't talk about what was bothering her; it was hers alone to bear. But Han was quiet. He was gentle and serious, not at all his arrogant, swashbuckling self. Leia had never seen this softer side of him. Unfairly, she never suspected it ever existed. Maybe this kind, caring disposition lay under his external rough self? He seemed genuine; his hazel eyes spoke of _true_ concern, held a hint of hurt. Leia's brows furrowed as he looked into his eyes. Who or what had hurt him in the past?

"Leia?" He leaned forward. "You ok—I know you're not okay." Han inhaled. "Is it that man? Major Bulue?"

She broke eye contact with him and looked at their entwined hands. She wanted to pull hers away. She wanted to run and hide. But she didn't

"What'd he do to you?"

Han felt her tense up and loosen her fingers in his hand. Han figured he lost her.

But then she spoke. "He…prepped me for Darth Vader…injected me with stuff that made me feel hazy, loosened my…control over my mind…did things to me…" her large brown eyes faded fare away. "I don't remember it all. I was so drugged up…I faded in and out, lost consciousness…Darth Vader was always there when I came to...And after…after, he hurt me physically…Vader never did that. He'd just probe my mind using the Force." Leia briefly looked up at him. "I know you don't believe in the Force, but I don't know how else to explain how he got into my mind. It was like his fingers were crawling around in my head, probing…I don't know." She paused and then continued. With Bulue, I came to associate him with….pain…fear." She tipped her head to the right and shrugged. "He wasn't as bad as Vader," she qualified in a whisper.

"That doesn't make him any less evil." Han lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb. "Is Bulue and Vader…that experience the source of your nightmares?"

Leia shook her head and inhaled deeply. She never talked about her nightmares to anyone before, not even Luke. It was just too frightening to say it aloud. She looked into Han's hazel eyes; there was concern, sympathy—not pity—and anger, but she didn't feel it was pointed at her. Maybe it'd help to share her worst nightmares. Could she trust him? The look in Han's eyes…well, it made her feel safe.

"My dreams are about…Governor Tarkin and Vader. When they….when they blew up Alderaan."

"I'm sorry you have to relive that in your dreams." Han stroked her dusty hair dusty hair with his free hand.

"It's not…it's not when they destroyed Alderaan. I dream about that, but it's not the worst thing."

Leia fell silent and Han waited for her to continue. Her eyes glistened, and she looked down at their interlocked hands.

"No one knows. Everyone thinks Vader couldn't break me, and he couldn't with his mind probes. But he and Tarkin…they broke me."

He furrowed his brow. "You're not broken. You survived."

"I wish I hadn't," she quietly said.

"If you didn't, I would have died on this mission." Han attempted to steer her mind away from such thoughts.

"If I did, you wouldn't be with the Alliance."

"I got involved the minute I agreed to transport Luke and that old man."

Leia's lips slightly stretched into a closed smile. "Obi Wan Kenobi was a great general _and_ a Jedi during the Clone Wars. He was one of the people who started this rebellion."

"I guess we wouldn't have gotten off the Death Star without him," Han admitted.

"Yeah…" Leia concurred, but Han knew her thoughts were not on that old man.

"They did break me," the princess whispered. "I gave in to their pressure when they threatened to destroy…Alderaan."

Leia paused, reluctant to go on. The _Falcon_ tipped to the right and left before it straightened out. Leia tightened her hold on Han's hand.

"Whaddya mean you 'gave in'? The Alliance still exists, thanks to you."

"You and Luke played a part in that, too." She briefly looked up at him.

"You were successful. Fought your way off the Death Star, got the plans to the Alliance. You didn't give in."

"I did." Leia sucked in a breath and fought to hold her tears in. "When they threatened Alderaan…I named another planet. I told them the rebel base was on Dantooine. But they blew up Alderaan anyway."

"They probably always intended Alderaan to be their target."

"I know. But if they believed me….if they went after Dantooine…I would have been responsible for the deaths of all the innocent beings of Dantooine." She momentarily bit her lip. "The rebel base wasn't even there anymore and I knew that."

Han stroked her dusty cheek as she stared down at her feet. "You were in an impossible situation. If it were anyone else, they would've broken long before you did." Han took her chin in his hands once again and forced her to look at him. "It's not your fault."

Tears were caught in her lashes, but she wouldn't allow any to fall. Han was being kind to her, even supportive, but she still didn't want to cry in front of him. "I feel guilty."

"There's nothin' to feel guilty about." Han clenched his jaw as he twisted so that he could put his arms around her despite his pain.

Leia didn't return his embrace. She kept her hands close to her, her fists resting on his bare chest, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Han rested his chin on top of her head.

"Have you talked to Luke?"

"No." She sucked in a breath. "I don't want him to know."

"He'd understand."

"No, I don't want him to know…that I hate myself," she quietly confessed.

Han placed his lips on the top of her head and held them there for a long moment before resting his cheek on her head.

"I feel so alone," she whispered into his chest.

Han pulled her closer to him, kissing the crown of her head again. He was familiar with that feeling, sometimes feeling it in Chewbacca's presence. It was something that sat in the pit of his stomach. He imagined it was the same way for her, feeling alone even when she's surrounded by people.

The _Millennium Falcon_ lurched forward and picked up speed. The jolting and spinning and rocking ceased, and the ride smoothed out. Han was relieved. They were now flying at the speed of light.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10:

Leaning his cheek on Leia Organ's head, Han Solo closed his hazel eyes, and allowed the steady vibrations of the _Millennium Falcon's_ hyper drive engine penetrate his body.

_You survived, _His words to her._ I wish I hadn't,_ Leia's response to his words.

_I hate myself,_ Leia's words echoed in his mind. _I feel so alone._

He didn't know how to respond to her statements, such hopeless words from someone who seemed so optimistic and idealistic and in control most of the time. Of course, that was when other people were around. Han knew that the princess endured a lot at the hands of Darth Vader—she would never tell him the complete story, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know—she also had lost almost everyone who cared about her and loved her, lost her home, and her identity. He knew that she was hurting inside, but he never imagined how deep her guilt and pain went. Leia's tough-as-nails, arrogant, royal and optimistic dedication to the Alliance that's what she projected to others, and that's what they saw. That's what he usually saw. And though he had caught glimpses of hurt from afar when she interacted with the High Command and encouragement to wide-eyed soldiers—some practically children, like Luke—Han had never really taken the time to see past her exterior persona, hadn't really thought of what she had endured.

The princess held in her pain well; she held herself together with a will that not even the life-hardened smuggler possessed. Of course, Leia was trained to hide her emotions. And then, in that moment, Han realized: she kept herself busy to avoid dealing with her emotions, perhaps trying to make up for naming Dantooine as the rebel base.

Han let go of her hand and wrapped that arm around her, holding her in a full embrace. To his surprise, she embraced him back. His chest remained dry, so he knew she wasn't crying. Just like Leia to hold in her emotions even though she had just shared her deepest secret with him. She didn't trust him, but she had only known him for a short time. Han wasn't sure if he even trusted her.

Leia kept her large brown eyes closed tight, holding on to her tears. She wasn't going to feel sorry for herself. And the last thing she wanted was for Han to feel sorry for her. Or Luke. Or anyone else. So why did she just share things with Han that she never intended to share with anyone? How did he get things out of her so easily?

It was dangerous to reveal what she had to someone she barely knew. Maybe she did so because he was planning to leave and would take her secrets with him. A wave of sadness washed over her, and Leia found that she didn't want him to leave, maybe because she _had_ shared her deepest darkest sin, her fears with him. Leia had wanted to tell someone the things she told Han, but no one would understand, and she feared shattering in front of people who depended on to fulfill her duties, be the "Face of the Rebellion", though she hated playing that part. It was a lie; that wasn't her, but that was what people wanted her to be. She would do anything for the Alliance.

After talking to Han, Leia felt like a weight was lifted off of her. Well, not completely off of her, but enough to let her breathe.

Chewbacca appeared in the medical station's doorway, and growled and gurawfed. Han felt Leia pull away, and he let her go.

"She cut her finger," Han explained as he took Leia's injured hand and held it up for Chewie to see.

The Wookie burrayed and groaned.

"He's right." Han let go of her hand. "You have more than one boo boo."

The princess pushed herself to her feet. "I'm fine. All I want is a shower."

Her tone betrayed none of her earlier emotions. It was as if she could just turn her feelings on and off at whim. Then again, Princess Leia was a politician, royalty. She probably had been trained to hide her true feelings at a very young age. Although that thought made Han a little sad, he still found this skill of hers impressive.

But then Han realized that _she _had revealed her emotions to him. Leia let her pain leak into her demeanor as she cared for his wound. Was it because of facing Major Bulue that brought up her pent up emotions? Was it that he was sensitive to her moods when no one else seemed to be (and what did that mean)? _She_ had talked to him about how she lost her identity earlier on this trip. Did she just feel safe talking to him, certain that he wouldn't reveal their conversations, safe because he would be leaving soon? Or just safe with him.

"Chewie's gonna wash out your cuts."

Chewie growled in agreement.

"No, Captain." Leia started for the door and then stopped in the doorway. "Chewie, get Han into that bed and make sure he stays there. And put that oxygen mask back on."

The Wookie confirmed her command. He went over to Han and helped the smuggler to his feet.

"You're gonna let her tell you what to do, You big furry oaf?"

"Gruuraaawwh."

"Shut up." Han grumbled.

Chewie rumbled and rahhed, addressing Leia.

"I don't think she wants to sleep in your hair-covered hammock."

The Wookie put his hand on his hip and spoke to Han.

"I was goin' to, you furry oaf!" Han's voice then softened. "Your Worshipfulness-ness can take my cabin since I'm stuck here."

Leia smiled at Han, "Thank you, Your Captain-ness-ness." She turned and started out the door.

"Hey, Princess?"

She looked over her shoulder.

"Good night."

"Good night, Captain." Leia said and disappeared through the door.

As she walked down the hallway she came upon Luke.

"How's Ha—"

Leia hugged the aspiring Jedi and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"—n doin'…" Luke touched the spot where the princess had placed her lips and then looked down at the permacrete dust outline of her body that she left behind on him. "What was that for?"

Leia didn't turn around. She just continued down the hall.

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"Hey, Chew—" Luke dropped his voice. "How's Han?"

Chewbacca held up the half-filled vial of painkillers.

"Ha. The only way to get him to stay in here, huh?"

Chewie quietly gurawfed.

"I'll catch him when he's awake. I'm glad he's doin' okay."

"I'm awake," Han slurred and removed the oxygen mask. Chewie reprimanded him, but Han ignored his best friend. "How's my baby?"

"We got hit a couple of times—"

"At least _three_ times," Han countered.

Luke rolled his eyes. "If you already know, how come your askin'?"

Han tried to sit up, but Chewie pushed him back down with a grunt.

"Alright, alright," he addressed Chewie. Then he returned his attention to the kid. "Felt like you were doin' some fancy flying."

"Don't worry. I didn't push she too far. I didn't want to ruin this bucket of bolts."

Han's expression melted into mock hurt. "How can you say that about the ship that saved your life uh….how many times?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know I owe you one."

"More than one."

Luke's large blue eyes traveled to the bandage on Han's side. "Looks like Leia put you back together. Hopefully, she got the pieces in the right places."

Chewie chortled, and Han gave him a dirty look.

"It was good Leia was there," Luke conceded. "I don't think anyone else would've known what to do." He bit the inside of his cheek as the thought of what could have happened to his friend.

"Yeah."

The kid sighed. "You were right in insisting Leia be a part of this mission."

"I knew what I was doin'." Then Solo's eyes dropped to the floor. "You were right about her recklessness. Maybe I shouldn't have—"

Luke cut him off, "No, it was the right thing. Don't second guess yourself." He sighed, "I think she did need this."

Chewie added his thoughts to the conversation.

"Yeah, either way, she proved that she's more than a diplomat and princess. Maybe the High Command will let her do more than recruit and give speeches." And a wave of concern washed over Han.

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Instead of heading straight to the refresher, Leia Organa went to the lounge. She wanted to make sure everything worked right with the microchip. Tycho and Redge were busy on their data pad, and Narra, Wedge, and Hobbie were relaxing around the holochess table drinking some Corellian ale they dug up from the galley. Leia hesitated at the entrance, summing up her courage. They had made their feelings clear about her presence on this mission; she wasn't wanted. Maybe this was a bad idea.

Wedge looked up. "Hey, princess."

The others acknowledged her presence.

"I just came to see if everything we needed was on the microchip." Leia walked over to Redge and Tycho. She smiled when she looked at their data pads. They were playing the most popular video game in the galaxy.

Redge and Tycho sat up straight. "You copied everything the High Command wanted and then some," Redge reported. "No wonder it took so long for you guys to get out of there."

"We wouldn't have another chance to break into that computer," she shrugged.

Tycho's looked up into her eyes. "There was an encrypted file. It didn't look like a virus, but we couldn't crack it."

Leia nodded. "Leave it be. The High Command will take care of it."

Tycho and Redge gave the princess a confused look. There were other techs working for the Alliance, but they were known as two of the best.

"Hey, Princess." Wedge held up his glass. "Why don't you join us for a celebratory drink?"

She took a step back.

"Come'n," Hobbie beckoned to her with his hand. "There's plenty of Corellian Ale to go around, Your Highness."

"Did you break into Han's stash?" she smiled impishly.

"Don't tell 'im."

"Oh, I think he'll notice on his own."

"So how about that drink?" Narra asked.

Okay." Leia walked over to the holochess table and squeezed in next to Wedge. Hobbie twisted off the top of the bottle and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She took a swig of ale. "It's Leia."

Hobbie's smile widened. "Leia. I never thought I'd be callin' royalty by their first name. You're a lot different than I expected you to be."

The princess took another sip of beer. "I'm not much different than you."

Hobbie started to say something about growing up with riches and palaces, but the downcast look on the princess's face stifled his comments.

Narra, whose feet were resting on the holochess table, tilted her head. "So where did you learn to shoot like that?"

"Carl—General Reikken taught me when I was a kid." Her large brown eyes looked back into the past, and she smiled. "He would teach me when my father was off on diplomatic missions, senate business, state matters." She tipped the bottle to her mouth before continuing. "I think my father wouldn't have much liked the general teaching me to handle a blaster. Of course, he Reikken wasn't a general then. He was a confidant of my father. He spent a lot of time with me when my father was away." Leia shrugged, and she kept her eyes on her bottle of ale. "I don't know. He taught me a lot of things. It was like the general knew I'd need to know how to shoot, know other things, because he knew what was coming."

"That was lucky for me," Narra conceded and took a gulp of ale.

"So where'd you learn to shimmy across a tightrope?" Hobbie asked.

The princess laughed. "That," she said with a smile that touched her eyes, "was from sneaking out at night. There were a lot of obstacles to scale and climb to escape, not to mention the palace guards." Again, her eyes went far away, and she stared at the table. "There were a few guards that would turn a blind eye. But there was one," she shook her head and smiled again, "I got in so much trouble when he caught me."

"_You_ snuck out at night?" Hobbie's eyes widened.

"Didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I…I wasn't royalty."

Her eyes fell to her bottle and she twisted it around in her hands. "I was rather difficult as a child."

"I used to sneak out at night, too," Wedge said to lighten the mood. "Boy, did I get in trouble when I was caught."

Leia looked at him, and the Rogue pilot shared his childhood experiences. Soon the rest of the Rogue Squadron were sharing their idiot child exploits and laughing as they downed their Corellian Ale. The princess was enjoying their company and stayed for a couple more drinks.

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Luke entered the lounge. "Have you guys seen Leia?"

"_Leia_," Hobbie reveled in being so informal with the princess's name, "was here drinking with us, but she left to take a shower."

"Now there's an image in my head…" Narra wickedly smiled.

Luke rolled his eyes while the others laughed. They certainly were getting comfortable around the princess, talking about her like they would any other attractive woman.

"She was drinking with you guys?"

"Why not? We're good company."

"It's just that," Luke stopped. "Never mind."

"I think she was gonna turn in after a shower," Wedge informed Luke.

"Thanks."

Luke walked down the hallway toward the crew quarters but then caught movement in Han's cabin. He poked his head through the open door. There he found Leia wearing her pink T-shirt and flower-splattered pink shorts with thick white socks. She had her head bent forward, her hair pulled over her head, and a handful of her tresses in her hand. She was ferociously working on the myriad of knots with a large paddle brush.

"Hey, Leia."

She stopped brushing, pushed her hair back out of her face, and smiled at Luke. "Aren't you tired?"

"Nah, I'm feelin' a bit restless." Skywalker leaned against the doorjamb.

"The adrenaline's still in your blood."

"I suppose so," he concurred. "You?"

Leia pulled a handful of hair over her shoulder and continued to roughly work through the knots. "I think I'm coming down."

"Want help with that?" Luke stepped into the room.

"I wish Han had a decent mirror." Leia held out the brush to him.

The princess scooted back on Han's bed and crossed her legs. Luke bit his lip, walked over to the bed, and took the brush from her hand. She pushed her hair behind her so that it hung down her back. Luke climbed onto the bed and spread his legs out behind her so that he was seated in an optimal position to brush her hair.

"I don't think I've brushed hair this long," Luke said as he started at the top of her head, pulled the brush through her hair, and stopped just above the tangled ends. "Actually, I've never brushed anyone else's hair before."

"I've been thinking of cutting it. It gets in the way sometimes and is a pain to brush out after I wash it."

"Nah." Luke took a piece of her locks, held it above the knots, and used his fingers to work through the mess. "I think your hair is beautiful."

"Thanks." She pressed her lips together, and although she appreciated his compliment, it somehow made her miss home.

A comforting silence fell between them as Luke gently worked through the knots with his fingers. Once he loosened them, he used the brush to smooth her hair out.

"Luke," Leia broke the silence. "Don't tell anyone about the new Death Star the Empire is building."

"I won't."

"I've encrypted the information on the microchip. Even Tycho and Redge don't know about it."

"Wow. _They_ can't crack it?"

"I had a tech tutor who was once a brilliant hacker. I know a bit about computers and other technical gadgets than I let on." She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Why so secretive about the information on the new Death Star?"

"It'll bring down morale." Leia turned back around, closed her large brown eyes, and enjoyed the brush running through her hair. "How do you think everyone would feel if they found out that after we—you—"

"And Han."

"Right." She continued, "you two destroyed the Death Star only to learn another one is being built to replace it?"

Luke untangled the last of her knots. "Pretty bad."

"Yeah."

"We'll just destroy it again."

Leia chuckled. "Yeah, like that was easy the first time." Then she sobered. "They discussed the changes they were going to make. It won't be as vulnerable as the first one. It definitely won't be as easy to destroy. I just wish they had the entire plans in that computer."

Luke ran the brush through her hair again and again as he thought about her words. "It's like we take one step forward and a hundred back."

"Yeah." She looked down at her feet. "The nature of fighting an oppressive Empire." She paused for a moment and then quietly said, "We'll probably have more losses than victories before all this ends."

Luke's free hand smoothed out her hair as he pulled the brush through it. "But we'll win."

_Ever the optimistic,_ Leia thought. She used to be that optimistic too. She used to believe that good always trumped evil. Now…now with everything that she had gone through, all that she lost, and discovering a new Death Star was being built, she wasn't feeling so optimistic anymore. At least there wasn't anything more the Empire could take from her.

"Leia?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about….what I said about you endangerin' the mission," Luke apologized. "I was wrong. You didn't endanger the mission. You did the opposite."

"I've forgotten it already," she quietly said, though she hadn't because there was some truth to what Luke had said. She had been reckless.

"I don't think it would've been successful if it weren't for you."

"I don't know about that."

"Han would've died." Luke inhaled and exhaled to expel that thought.

"He's like a rencugat. Nine lives." She laughed, lightening the mood.

"Yeah, but how many lives has he already wasted?" Luke joined in her revelry. "Okay, all finished," Luke announced and handed her the brush.

Leia ran her hands through her hair, looked over her shoulder, and gazed into his bright blue ones. "You did a good job. I should have you do my hair every day."

"A pilot for the Rogue Squadron and a hairdresser. I'd be the laughing stock of the Alliance." He grinned.

"I suppose so," Leia laughed. And then she sobered and turned away from him. Maybe there _was_ more the Empire could take from her.

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When Chewie fell asleep, Solo climbed out of the bed and gingerly made his way to the refresher. He programmed the temperature and speed of the water, stepped into the cramped shower, and turned it on. His muscles began to relax under the steady stream of hot water, and bracing himself with a hand against the wall, he let the water fall on his bent head and drip off his face. The hot water turned his skin pink and pound against his shoulders before it flowed down the rest of his body. The painkiller was wearing off, and the pain and fatigue were wearing him down. He knew he should be following Leia's orders, but he just felt too restless to stay in bed.

_Leia._ She certainly knew how to give orders, but she sucked at following them. How many times did she almost get captured? How many times did she almost die? And it would have been his fault. _He_ was the one who insisted on her coming just because he didn't like the way Dodonna and the High Command were forcing her to be someone she no longer identified with. But Han was right when he told Dodonna that the princess was capable of holding her own and that he trusted her quick-on-her-feet thinking when things go bad after escaping the Death Star with her. And she _was_ an integral part of the mission; he was right about that.

But her presence affected his leadership. Han soaped up his body. How many times did he put Leia's safety first over the mission? He endangered six lives to protect one. He endangered Luke.

_Luke._ The kid had definitely had grown on him. For a farm boy—hell, for a soldier—Luke excelled in combat whether it was in the cockpit of an X-Wing or on the battlefront. As far as Han knew, the kid had no experience in either before he joined the Alliance. Yeah, he bragged about bombing womprats, but he probably wasn't bragging. Luke was farm-boy honest. So he was good at bombing womprats, but there's a huge difference bombing womprats and piloting an X-Wing in battle. Luke did escape the Death Star, and the High Command had faith that the kid would become a Jedi one day (how? Han wasn't sure, but he didn't believe in the Force anyway so he didn't give it much thought), but to put someone as green and inexperienced as Luke in the cockpit of an X-Wing to fight off TIE fighters and blow up Death Stars, the High Command certainly didn't have his friend's best interests in their minds.

_His friend, Luke_. Yes, Han did see the kid as a friend. Solo cupped his hands and splashed the hot water on his face. It had been a little over a month, and he considered the kid his friend. That wasn't like the smuggler at all. He didn't look out for other people than himself and Chewie, and he definitely didn't risk his life helping anyone rescue princesses or blowing up giant space stations. Yet Han did. There was just something about that naïve kid that made Han want to protect the kid like he wanted to protect. What was it about those two? Was it because of their shared experience escaping the Death Star?

Was that a mistake?

Han sighed and rinsed off. He shut off the water, rubbed a towel over his head and body, and wrapped it around his waist. Attachments were dangerous, especially in his kind of work. He stepped out of the refresher and cringed in pain. He pulled the bandage back and looked down at his wound. He studied the neatly stitched cut and admired Leia's handiwork. She certainly was skilled. He placed his hand on the bulkhead and used it to support his weight as he went to his cabin.

Covered by only a towel, Han Solo entered the darkened room careful to not make a sound. On his bed, Leia slept, and he didn't want to wake her. He didn't think she'd appreciate his current state of dress—_or maybe she would—_Han smiled to himself, but he needed to get his clothes. He hobbled over to his closet, and the door slid open. Solo reached up onto the top shelf and retrieved a shirt, and he pulled his pants and underthings from the two shelves below the highest one. Leaning against the closest doorjamb, Han grabbed his underwear and undershirt. Once he put those one—not without pain—he slipped an over-washed white shirt off of a hanger. He then walked over to the chair at his desk and sat down to get dressed the rest of the way.

Before easing himself into the chair, he pulled on his brown pants with the yellow blood stripe running down the legs, and then he sat down to put his shirt on. Han took a breather for a moment, wished Leia would help him put it on like she helped him take it off in the medical station, and then decided he might as well get it over with. He shoved his arms through the arm holes, gritted his teeth, and began lifting it over his head. He stopped when his hazel eyes fell on Leia.

The princess's chest rose and fell in rhythmic pattern, never straying from that pattern. One hand rested on her stomach and the other rested next to her head. The light coming from the open door emphasized the red and purple highlights and lowlights of her brown hair that hung over her left shoulder. His hazel eyes fell onto her breast that strained against her pink T-shirt. His eyes slipped down to her where the T-shirt rode up exposing the pallid skin of her stomach. Han's eyes traveled back to her face that was relaxed in sleep.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Han pulled on his shirt the rest of the way and looked to the open doorway. There, Luke was standing with his hands in his pockets and shoulder leaning against the doorjamb.

"You'll wake her," Solo warned as he eased the shirt over his head.

"Nah. She won't wake up right now. Her dreams are peaceful."

Han glanced at the princess and then looked at Luke. "How do you know?"

Luke shrugged. "I dunno. Just do."

The smuggler kept his hazel eyes on the kid for a moment. How could he be so certain about that? He turned back to look at the princess. She hadn't moved when he came into the room and hadn't changed position when Luke spoke.

"She looks so peaceful sleeping like that."

"Yeah," Han stood and strapped his holster onto his hips and secured it around his leg. "And young." He moved closer to Luke and sat at the edge of the desk.

"She's only nineteen," Luke informed him. "Same age as me."

Han's brow furrowed. "Nineteen? Really?"

"We share the same birthday."

"Huh." Han was still processing her age. "I woulda never have guessed she was that young."

"Yeah," Luke tipped his head to the right as he studied the princess. "She's been through a lot, and she has a lot of responsibility for someone her age."

Solo's eyes perused the scrapes and bruises on Leia's arms, her face. There was one distinctive bruise on her upper right arm that was the shape of a hand. He pressed his lips together before saying, "I shouldn't have grabbed her so hard."

Skywalker's eyes fell to the same bruise. "She scared you. She scared me," he reflected. "Your anger was your way of expressing your fear."

"I hurt her." Han felt guilty.

"She won't hold that against you," Luke reassured his older friend.

Han glanced at Luke. The kid wore a closed-mouth smile, and his large blue eyes reflected adoration as he gazed at the princess. Han asked, "You fallin' for her?"

Luke's closed-mouth smile stretched wider. "Maybe." Still smiling, he said, "I don't think she feels that way about me."

"I dunno. She seems pretty close to you."

"I guess you can say we are." Luke looked at the smuggler. "You?"

"What?" Han asked, though he knew the answer.

"Fallin' for her?" There was mischief in the kid's eyes.

Han looked upon the princess for a moment before he looked away. "Nah. But I can see how it's easy to fall for her."

"Mmmm," Luke's side-glanced at Solo, and openly smiled.

Han looked at him. "What?" There was a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Nothing." Skywalker's eyebrows rose in innocence.

Han went to Leia, pulled down her shirt over her exposed belly, and covered her with the blanket. As if Luke knew Han was going to leave the room, Luke stood up straight and back out of the doorway. Han stepped out of the door and was about to palm it close.

"No. Leave it open," Luke instructed. "She doesn't like being alone behind closed doors."

Han looked back over his shoulder at Leia. "Can't blame her."

Solo and Skywalker walked down the hall toward the cockpit. Luke noticed how Han occasionally used the bulkhead to hold himself up, and he fought the urge to help Solo walk. The kid imagined the pain the smuggler was feeling; Han's wound was serious enough to scare him. And Leia, though she hid it well, all business when she ministered to him. Perhaps Luke was more afraid than Leia because Leia was afraid. If she wasn't there….Luke didn't want to think about it.

Skywalker had come to think of Han as a good friend, perhaps his best friend since Biggs died battling the Death Star. Luke didn't feel connected to anyone in the galaxy anymore, or even with anyone in the Alliance—save for Leia—and that made him feel alone. His connection to Leia made him feel less alone, but his connection to Han was just as important to the aspiring Jedi as his connection to Leia was. Luke knew less about the smuggler's life than he did Leia's, butt Luke knew Han from his actions, from his words that often contradicted each other.

Luke smiled to himself as he thought about how Han agreed to help Luke rescue Leia. Yeah, the smuggler seemed more interested in the reward than the princess herself, but Han had to know Luke couldn't guarantee that reward. Luke believed Solo would have eventually agreed to help him because Han wouldn't have let Luke go off by himself. And Luke was determined to rescue the princess.

And then there was the attack on Death Star, a suicide mission Solo said. Yet, Han came to Luke's rescue. Since then, the smuggler had kept telling Luke that he was going to leave any day to pay off Jabba. But Han was still here after a little more than standard month, and Luke got the feeling Han would be around even longer.

Yes, Luke considered Han as his best friend even though Han may not feel the same. The kid was just glad that Ben Kenobi picked Chewbacca and Solo as their pilot to Alderaan.

When they reached the cockpit, Han took his usual seat, and carefully propped his feet up on the control panel, folded his hands on his stomach, and leaned back to take the pressure off of his wound. Luke settled into the large co-pilot's seat, pulled one leg up to rest on its edge, and letting the other one lay flat on the chair. He rested one elbow on his propped up knee.

"Aren't you tired?" Han asked.

"Nah. You?"

"I couldn't stand being in that medical bay any longer, and I let Leia have my cabin."

They sat in silence for a while as they watched the stars streak by. The bright blue light filled the cockpit and bathed their faces.

Luke broke the silence. "Leia loves watching the stars when we're at light speed."

Han rubbed the scar on his chin with his forefinger. "You hang out with her a lot." It was a question as much as a statement.

Luke shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. When she not busy with High Command business or I'm not off training or doing recon missions. So maybe not a lot."

"What do you two do?" Han asked. "Play Sabaac?"

Luke chuckled. "No. Usually we talk or just sit there in silence. When I'm on watch duty, she'll come up into the tower and just hang out with me, sometimes not saying anything." Luke reflected for a moment. "Sometimes I think she wants to say something but can't. Anyhow, it makes watch duty go a lot faster even when we don't talk."

"Hmm…" Han furrowed his brow.

"She and I have a lot in common," Luke explained. "I may not have lost my entire world, but I kinda did."

"How'd you get involved with that old man?"

"Ben Kenobi," Luke corrected.

Han rolled his eyes and rephrased his question, "How'd you get involved with Ben Kenobi?"

Luke looked down at the console. "My uncle bought Threepio and Artoo from the Jawas. Artoo convinced me to take off his restraining bolt."

"A droid convinced you?"

"Yeah, I know. He's not like any other droid I've worked with," Luke chuckled. "Artoo was carrying Leia's message to Ben and ran off to find him. Threepio and I searched for him, and I was almost killed by the Sandpeople. Ben saved my life."

Luke paused for a moment as he recollected the memory. "Ben scared them off. I don't exactly know how." Luke's voice quieted. "Ben knew my father. He gave me my father's lightsaber." Luke went silent.

"So you decided to follow him to Alderaan?" Han asked.

"No. I was just going to take him to Mos Eisley." The kid inhaled. "We came across the Jawas that sold my uncle the droids. They had been killed by storm troopers. The storm troopers…they traced the droids back to my home. I found…." His voice quieted. "I found the moisture farm destroyed and my uncle and aunt….burned. I never knew my real parents, but my aunt and uncle gave me the best they could. They loved me, and I loved them. When they were killed….I lost everything I knew."

"Like Leia," Han interjected.

"Yeah. Maybe that's why we naturally fell into a friendship. We could understand how each other felt." Luke looked back up at the stars. "Anyhow, after that happened, There was nothing left for me on Tatooine. That's why I decided to go with Ben, join the rebellion."

"I'm sorry." Han reflected on Luke's story. He suddenly became very angry at the Empire for taking everything from the kid and pushing him to risk his life in a rebellion that was doomed to fail. "What would you have done if all that didn't happen?"

Luke frowned. "I'd probably be still toiling on the moisture farm. I wanted to join the Academy like Biggs, but my uncle always said he needed me on the farm and always promised next season. Next season, I don't think he had any intention of letting me go off to the Academy."

"That was a good thing," Han mumbled as he reflected on his experience of his life in the Academy, how he saved Chewbacca from slavery and lost his commission. The horrors he witness as an officer in the Academy…it was best Luke's uncle refused to let him go.

"A good thing?" Luke asked

Han came up with an answer. "You'd be fighting for the Empire."

"I would have left to join the rebellion after I was educated. Like Biggs"

_As if that would be so easy_, Han thought. Luke hadn't seen the ugliness of war. He still had ideas and optimism. "Guess you ended up where you wanted to be."

"Guess so."

The door of the cockpit slid open, and there appeared Leia.

"What are you doing up?" Han asked. And then he looked into her sleepy eyes. _Bad dream._

"I could ask you the same," she tilted her head, jutted out her hip, and put her fist on that said hip.

"Good point."

Leia raised an eyebrow and then yawned. "I got enough rest. I'm anxious to get back to the base."

Luke frowned. She didn't look awake to him. He had the feeling her dreams turned sour.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Just watching the stars," Han answered.

Leia nodded. Luke scooted over in Chewie's large co-pilot's seat. "Come join us."

The princess padded over to Chewbacca's chair. She sat down next to Luke, pulled her legs up to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. Han discreetly watched her settle in. The way the blue lights of the streaking stars illuminated her face, and how her large brown eyes gazed at the scene beyond the cockpit, Han couldn't imagine her being more beautiful than she was in that moment.

_Are you fallin' for her?_ Luke had asked him. He pushed that question out of his mind.

Luke sat so close to Leia that their shoulder touched. Luke glanced down at the princess and then met Han's hazel eyes. The aspiring Jedi gave the smuggler a small smile before returning his bright blue eyes back to the stars.

Han Solo leaned back further in his seat. In this moment, everything felt right in the galaxy.


End file.
